A North Korean technical delegation was recently sent to Russia to receive technical information about satellites, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a high-ranking source inside North Korea told Daily NK on Nov. 10 that around 20 technicians and scientists with the National Aerospace Technology Administration were staying in Russia to receive technical assistance with satellites.
When asked whether the delegation was seeking information about putting the satellite into a stable orbit after the third stage (the reason for the failure of the first two satellite launches), the source told Daily NK that “we have already resolved issues related to the launch vehicle on our own, and [our technical solutions] are currently being reviewed at a higher level.”
After the failure of the second launch attempt in August, the North Korean authorities announced that “the Chollima-1 new satellite launch vehicle flew normally during both the first and second stages, but failed because of an error that occurred during the emergency blasting system in the third stage of the flight.”
While that has led some to conclude that North Korea has not managed to stabilize the technology for the rocket engine and for entering orbit, the source said that North Korea has compensated for those technical issues on its own, without help from Russia.
“We’re engaging in technical cooperation [with Russia] in the areas of communications equipment, signal processing systems, and high resolution imaging technology,” the source told Daily NK.
When asked why North Korea did not carry out a third launch in October despite publicly promising to do so, the source said: “The position [of the authorities] is that [the rocket] needs to be capable of functioning perfectly, even if that takes longer.”
The timeframe for launching the satellite is being delayed, the source said, because North Korea is determined to launch an advanced satellite that is capable of photographing enemy positions with a high-resolution camera and then transmitting that information to the ground.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed cooperation on military and aerospace technology during a summit at Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia, on Sept. 13.
When reporters asked whether Russia would help North Korea develop a satellite, Putin said, “That’s why we came here. The leader of the DPRK [Kim Jong Un] shows great interest in rocket engineering; they are also trying to develop space.”
Since North Korea has openly expressed its determination to keep up technical cooperation on military satellites, there is a widespread sense in North Korea that the third launch must not end in failure. That has also made North Koreans leery of trying to guess when the third satellite launch will take place.
“The decision to launch the satellite will be made [by our higher ups], and nobody can know that in advance. That said, our technical delegation is still in Russia and remains in active communication with government officials,” the source said.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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