THE NORTH KOREAN SPACE PROGRAM
North Korea has been at odds with most of the world for quite some time. Following the division of the country in 1948, North Korea has been arguably the least transparent country in the world. The rise of super power nations such as the United States, Russia, and China has made North Korea even more non-transparent. North Koreans have kept much of their military research and development, space program, and every day life under tight lock down. Present day North Korea is not much different. However, their ambitions of becoming a space faring nation have been in the spotlight as of recently. Which leads to the question: Is North Korea developing rockets and other launch vehicles for the national glory …show more content…
So, what does this mean for the future? Well, North Korea has made it clear that they will be a major space power. Following the February Unha launch, Kim Jong-Un announced he wanted North Korea to conquer space. How exactly can North Korea conquer space? A good start would be to land on the Moon. In early August 2016, a senior official within North Korea’s space program announced that the country will continue to launch satellites and will pursue a lunar landing mission within the next ten years. Even though this seems overly ambitious for the country, it is not completely impossible. Using the data and lessons learned from past and future launches, a lunar mission would be easier than placing a satellite in geostationary orbit.
There is an obvious advantage to launching rockets whether it is for space exploration or for missile testing. Launching rockets for space exploration gives the launching nation valuable experience. The launch also doubles for missile testing. However, North Korea may not always be free to launch whenever they please. Therefore, commercial launches outsourced to other countries may be an option for North Korea in the future. It is common for countries to have another country launch their payload for them. The only problem for North Korea may be actually finding a country willing to perform such a
North Korea has been at odds with most of the world for quite some time. Following the division of the country in 1948, North Korea has been arguably the least transparent country in the world. The rise of super power nations such as the United States, Russia, and China has made North Korea even more non-transparent. North Koreans have kept much of their military research and development, space program, and every day life under tight lock down. Present day North Korea is not much different. However, their ambitions of becoming a space faring nation have been in the spotlight as of recently. Which leads to the question: Is North Korea developing rockets and other launch vehicles for the national glory …show more content…
So, what does this mean for the future? Well, North Korea has made it clear that they will be a major space power. Following the February Unha launch, Kim Jong-Un announced he wanted North Korea to conquer space. How exactly can North Korea conquer space? A good start would be to land on the Moon. In early August 2016, a senior official within North Korea’s space program announced that the country will continue to launch satellites and will pursue a lunar landing mission within the next ten years. Even though this seems overly ambitious for the country, it is not completely impossible. Using the data and lessons learned from past and future launches, a lunar mission would be easier than placing a satellite in geostationary orbit.
There is an obvious advantage to launching rockets whether it is for space exploration or for missile testing. Launching rockets for space exploration gives the launching nation valuable experience. The launch also doubles for missile testing. However, North Korea may not always be free to launch whenever they please. Therefore, commercial launches outsourced to other countries may be an option for North Korea in the future. It is common for countries to have another country launch their payload for them. The only problem for North Korea may be actually finding a country willing to perform such a