Unha Explained

Unha
Function:Expendable carrier rocket
Manufacturer:National Aerospace Development Administration
Country-Origin:North Korea
Height:[1]
Stages:3
Capacities:
Kilos:[2] (465 x 502 km)
Status:Active
Sites:Sohae, Tonghae
Launches:4
Success:2
Fail:2
First:5 April 2009[3]
Stagedata:
Type:stage
Stageno:First
Engines:4 Nodong 2-1
Thrust:1192.8 kN
Burntime:120 seconds[4]
Si:252 sec
Length:15m (49feet)
Diameter:2.4m (07.9feet)
Type:stage
Stageno:Second
Engines:4 verniers
Thrust:125 kN
Si:255 s
Burntime:220 seconds
Length:NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet)
Diameter:1.5m (04.9feet)
Type:stage
Stageno:Third
Engines:2 verniers
Thrust:35.4 kN
Si:230 sec
Burntime:245 seconds
Length:NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet)
Diameter:NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet)

The Unha or Eunha (Korean: 은하, 銀河, "Galaxy")[5] is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, which partially utilizes the same delivery system as the Taepodong-2 orbital launch system.[6]

History

North Korea's first orbital space launch attempt occurred on August 31, 1998, and was unsuccessful. This launch attempt was performed by a Paektusan-1 rocket, which used a solid motor third stage, a Scud-missile-based second stage, and a Nodong-1 based first stage. Nodong-1 was a North Korean-developed stage thought to be a scale-up of the old Soviet Scud missile. The Paektusan-1 stood tall, was 1.8m (05.9feet) in diameter, and weighed about 21 tonnes.

Vehicle description

The Unha's first stage consists of four clustered Nodong motors, which themselves are enlarged Scud motors. The second stage was initially thought to be based on the SS-N-6, although it, too, is now believed to be based on Scud technology.[7] The third and last stage might be identical to the Iranian Safir's second stage which is propelled by two small gimballed motors.[7] [8]

Recent satellite images of the Sohae Satellite Launching Station showing an enlarged launch tower under construction have prompted online speculation that an enlarged version, called "Unha-X", might be under development.[9]

Hangul:은하
Mr:Ŭnha
Rr:Eunha
Context:north

Launch history

On 24 February 2009, North Korea announced that a Unha rocket would be used to launch the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 satellite.[10] According to the South Korean government, the launch took place on 5 April[11] from the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground in Hwadae county.[12] Several countries, including South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, voiced concerns that the launch would violate United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 which prohibits North Korea from testing ballistic missiles.[13] Russia also announced they urged North Korea to refrain from its planned rocket launch.[14]

On April 5, 2009, the Unha-2 rocket was launched at around 02:30 hours UTC (11:30 hours KST).[15] The U.S. Northern Command said that the first stage of the rocket fell into the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea), while the other rocket stages as well as the payload fell into the Pacific Ocean, and no object entered orbit.[16] [17] Later analysis indicated the rocket impacted from the launch site, and that the second stage operated normally but the rocket's third stage failed to separate properly.[18] North Korea maintains that the rocket successfully put its payload in orbit.[19]

On December 12, 2012, the Unha-3 Unit-2 rocket was launched at 00:49 UTC (7:49 EST).[20] The U.S. Northern Command said that the first stage of the rocket fell into the Yellow Sea, while the debris of the second stage was assessed to have fallen into the Philippine Sea and confirmed that the satellite had entered orbit.[21]

DesignationDateLaunch SitePayloadOutcome
Unha-2align=center 5 April 2009align=center Tonghae Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2
Unha-3align=center 13 April 2012align=center Sohae Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3[22]
Unha-3 align=center 12 December 2012[23] [24] align=center Sohae Second version of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3[25]
Kwangmyŏngsŏng (Unha-3)align=center 7 February 2016align=center Sohae Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Unha-3. Norbert. Brugge. Space Rockets Rest Of World. 30 December 2017.
  2. Web site: Status of North Korean Satellite unknown after prolonged Radio Silence, Reports of Tumbling – Spaceflight101. 12 February 2016 .
  3. Web site: Unha ("Taepodong-2"). Gunter. Krebs. Gunter's Space Page. 19 April 2012.
  4. Web site: An Analysis of North Korea's Unha-2 Launch Vehicle. David Wright. Union of Concerned Scientists. March 20, 2009. January 23, 2013. September 3, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140903184307/http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/nwgs/Wright-Analysis-of-NK-launcher-3-18-09.pdf. dead.
  5. News: FACTBOX: North Korea's Taepodong-2 long-range missile. 2009-03-13. Reuters. 2009-03-30 . Jack . Kim.
  6. Web site: North Korea positions rocket for April liftoff . https://archive.today/20090329215507/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5bCbd3G8qFoX7H4TvQbUWvBQ08QD975MUDO0. dead. 2009-03-29. AP. 2009-03-27. 2009-03-28.
  7. Web site: Markus Schiller's Analysis of North Korea's Unha-3 Launcher . David Wright . All Things Nuclear . Union of Concerned Scientists . 22 February 2013 . 7 March 2013 . 6 March 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130306103357/http://allthingsnuclear.org/markus-schillers-analysis-of-north-koreas-unha-3-launcher/ . dead .
  8. Web site: A post-launch examination of the Unha-2. 29 June 2009. 4 April 2012. 23 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120323023325/http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/post-launch-examination-of-the-unha-2. dead.
  9. Web site: Unha-X.
  10. Web site: http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-02/24/content_10883499.htm. https://web.archive.org/web/20090227170021/http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-02/24/content_10883499.htm. dead. February 27, 2009. zh:朝鲜将发射"光明星二号"试验通讯卫星. Xinhua. 2009-02-24. 2009-03-14. zh.
  11. News: North Korea fires long-range rocket: reports. The Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-04-05. 2009-04-05.
  12. Web site: Kim tours rocket launch area. 2009-02-26. The Straits Times. 2009-03-14.
  13. Web site: US Warns NK Not to Launch Rocket. 2009-03-14. The Korea Times. 2009-03-14.
  14. Web site: Russia urges North Korea to refrain from rocket launch. https://web.archive.org/web/20090331142050/http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20090327-131542.html. dead. March 31, 2009. Asiaone News. 2009-03-27. 2009-03-28.
  15. News: Defiant N Korea launches rocket . BBC News . April 5, 2009 . May 24, 2010.
  16. http://www.northcom.mil/News/2009/040509.html "NORAD and USNORTHCOM monitor North Korean launch"
  17. News: North Korea Seeks Political Gain From Rocket Launch. The New York Times. 2009-04-06. 2009-04-07 . Choe . Sang-Hun . Helene . Cooper . David E. . Sanger.
  18. News: North Korean rocket flew further than earlier thought. Craig Covault. Spaceflight Now. 10 April 2009. 2009-04-17.
  19. "TEXT-N.Korea says it successfully launched satellite" Reuters UK 5 April 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  20. News: North Korea carries out controversial rocket launch . CNN . December 12, 2012 . December 12, 2011.
  21. http://www.space.com/18867-north-korea-rocket-launch-satellite.html "North Korea Successfully Launches Satellite: Reports"
  22. Web site: North Korea Long-Range Rocket Launch Fails: Reports. Space.com. 13 April 2012.
  23. News: North Korea fires long-range rocket in defiant move, South Korea says . Fox News. 2012-12-11. 2012-12-11.
  24. Web site: North Korea Delays Rocket Launch.
  25. News: North Korea announces rocket launch date. Al-Jazeera. 2012-12-01. 2012-12-01.

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