- Pyongyang, 24 Feb. - North Korea announced the imminent launch of a satellite into space with one of its long range missiles. A note from official press agency KCNA reported that "there was a strong acceleration in preparations" to put an experimental satellite for communications into orbit.

"The preparations for launching experimental communications satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 by means of delivery rocket Unha-2 are now making brisk headway," North Korea's Committee of Space Technology said in a statement carried by the state-run news agency, KCNA. It was the first official confirmation by North Korea of its activities at a missile-launching base at Musudan-ri, on its east coast."



Who wants to make a bet on this?
I'm putting odds that the thing blows up after 30 seconds. I'll do an under - over with any takers.

30 seconds is generous!

Funny story about their "first" satellite launch....

On occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK, the official Korean Central News Agency announced on September 1st, 1998 Juche 87, that a satellite called Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 had been launched at 3:07 UTC on August 31.

North Korea claimed that confirmation of the launch and detection of the satellite by the Space Tracking Center in Moscow was quickly reported by the Russian Space Agency.

This was followed on September 14 by a video of the launch, images of the satellite, and an animation of the satellite in orbit.

According to the North Korean media it completed its hundredth orbit on September 13, 1998, and was in an elliptical orbit. It was also reported to be transmitting the melody of "Song of General Kim Il-sung" and "Song of General Kim Jong-il"


The U.S./Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) were unable to detect the satellite visually, by radar, or to pick up its radio signals, reporting instead that it continued east, burning up, with a debris trail that apparently extended to approximately 4,000 ㎞. It is thought that the satellite launch failed due to underperformance of the solid fueled third stage, placing the satellite into an orbit from which it decayed very quickly. But there is some doubt as to whether the satellite existed at all. Many of their observers argued the story of a satellite launch was invented to allay the western outrage that followed North Korea's test-firing of a “Taepodong-1 ballistic missile”, which crossed over Japan before crashing into the Pacific Ocean.

This "satellite launch" is going to be a fun story to watch. I'll wager on the over, it'll crash after 30 seconds.

And we're supposed to believe that China has put humans into space?? The pics of those astronauts looked like something out of a 1950's low-budget japanese sci-fi flick.

As for NK, they smell weakness with Obama and Clinton, so expect more threats of satellite/missile launches....

DPRK attempts its 2nd satellite launch 10 years after the 1st? Wow, what a breakneck pace they're on. Warp drive can't be far off.

China HAS put "taikonauts" in space, and NK no doubt "borrows" Chinese technology for their *cough* space program.

North Korea may indeed use Chinese technology for their program, but being so secretive and self-reliant may guarantee that they don't let the Chinese see too much.
This rocket will probably blow up, but the North Korean media would never admit it.

I'm also guessing NK is also sharing space/missile technology with Iran. It's happening concurrently with them as well.

I'm hoping the satellite succeeds so I can hear it broadcasting the "Song of General Kim Jong-il".