What consequences after the launch of North Korea’s spy satellite
Pyongyang claims success of spy satellite launch mission. For analysts, even a single spy satellite in orbit helps North Korea's military position.
North Korea claims to have successfully put Malligyong-1, its first spy satellite, into orbit.
On November 21, Pyongyang notified Japan of its intention to launch a satellite in a time window ranging from November 22 to December 1. And on November 22, the country announced that it had successfully launched the reconnaissance satellite into orbit after the failure of the first two attempts,in May and August.
The launch – as evidenced by the photos released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) – would have taken place at 10.42pm local time on Tuesday 21 November, in the presence of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un who had also already viewed some photographs of the American bases in Guam, on the Pacific taken from the orbiting satellite.
As Reuters notes, the country considers its military space and missile programs a sovereign right, and analysts say spy satellites are key to improving the effectiveness of its weapons. North Korea's launch, its third attempt after two failures this year, came two months after Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin , who offered to help Pyongyang build a satellite.
Analysts say that if the spacecraft works, it could significantly improve North Korea's military capabilities, allowing it to more accurately target enemy forces, CNN notes.
All the details.
THE LAUNCH WAS SUCCESSFUL ACCORDING TO PYONGYANG
The satellite, called "Malligyong-1", was launched last Tuesday on a new carrier rocket, "Chollima-1", according to the KCNA news agency. “The launch of a reconnaissance satellite constitutes North Korea's legal right to enforce its right to self-defense,” the KCNA report said.
The country appears to have overcome the technical problems that caused two previous attempts of its new Chollima-1 rocket to fall into the sea.
IS THE NORTH KOREA SPY SATELLITE WORKING?
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told Reuters that US Space Force data had cataloged two new objects in an orbital plane consistent with the launch from North Korea at the time Pyongyang claimed .
“I conclude that the objects are the spy satellite and the upper stage of the rocket,” he said.
What is not confirmed, however, is whether its payload, the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satellite, is operational and whether the North has received external aid.
THE OPINION OF THE EXPERTS
It may take time to determine whether the satellite is in operational orbit, is sending signals and what its capabilities are, analysts said.
“To evaluate the success of this launch, it is crucial not only to determine whether the projectile entered orbit, but also to ensure the ability to adapt and conduct reconnaissance from that orbit,” Hong Min, a senior member of the Korea Institute for National Unification. “This includes verifying the ability to take photos with optical cameras and transmit them appropriately to the satellite center.”
“If it works, it will improve the command and control, communications or intelligence and surveillance capabilities of the North Korean military. This would improve the North's ability to command its forces" in any possible conflict, Carl Schuster, director of operations at the Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center, noted to CNN .
The “satellite will provide them with a capability that they previously lacked that can assist them in military objectives, can assist them in damage assessment,” Ankit Panda, head of nuclear policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, commented to CNN . And lessons learned from Tuesday's launch will be used in the development of future satellites, Panda added.
THE INTERNATIONAL REACTION
The international reaction to Pyongyang's initiative was immediate.
The White House unreservedly condemned the launch, declaring that it "increases tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region." China is also worried about what is happening in North Korea. “The situation on the Korean Peninsula is complex and delicate – said the spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning – all interested parties should remain calm and sober, adhere to a political solution and restart the dialogue by improving relations”.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Defense in Seoul, the carrier flew over the waters west of the border between the two Koreas and Baengyeong Island. In response to the launch, the Japanese government issued an alert for residents of Okinawa Prefecture to seek refuge as soon as possible. In response to the satellite launch, Japan lodged a formal protest through its embassy in Beijing. Also yesterday, the South Korean government approved a motion partially suspending the 2018 inter-Korean agreement which provides for an agreement on non-aggression, civil exchanges and conditions for a process of denuclearization of North Korea.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/quali-conseguenze-dopo-il-lancio-del-satellite-spia-della-corea-del-nord/ on Thu, 23 Nov 2023 08:31:24 +0000.