The spy satellite recently placed into orbit by North Korea carried a camera imported from Japan, Daily NK has learned.
A source in North Korea who is familiar with the arms industry told Daily NK on Dec. 7 that the Malligyong-1, which was launched on Nov. 21, was equipped with an optical camera manufactured in Japan. This camera was of better quality than the one used in a failed satellite launch on May 1, the source said.
After the failure of North Korea’s first spy satellite launch, the South Korean military recovered wreckage of the launch vehicle in open waters off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. A commercial digital camera manufactured in Japan was reportedly found in the wreckage.
Analysis found that the camera had a zoom function but a resolution of just one to three meters, making it useless as a military surveillance satellite. A resolution of three meters would allow photographs of major areas and bases but would not have enough detail to identify weapon systems inside those bases.
After the South Korean military released its assessment of North Korea’s surveillance capabilities and the satellite’s performance based on its analysis of the recovered wreckage, the North Korean authorities reportedly gave special orders to the responsible department to find a better camera for the next satellite.
While those orders were carried out, the camera is reportedly still not capable of providing meaningful surveillance for military purposes.
North Korean media reported that the Malligyong-1 had taken photographs of Anderson Air Force Base, on the island of Guam, at 9:17 AM on Nov. 27. By mentioning the specific time and location of the satellite images, North Korea seems to have been trying to dispel doubts about the satellite’s effectiveness.
Daily NK’s source said that North Korea did not load the satellite with a Russian optical camera despite consulting with Russia on technical issues. The North Korean authorities were too focused on putting the satellite into stable orbit and achieving two-way communication with ground control to improve camera function, the source explained.
Daily NK reported in late November that North Korea’s National Aerospace Technology Administration was more focused on putting the satellite into orbit than on enhancing surveillance capabilities for the latest launch.
“The images taken by Malligyong-1 are currently being kept under close guard,” the source said.
North Korea appears to be taking strict precautions to ensure the satellite’s photographic capabilities are not made public. For example, North Korean media outlets have not published any of the actual images they claim the satellite has taken of US military facilities.
However, according to an individual who has seen the satellite images, they have a lower resolution than the Google satellite images that officials at the Reconnaissance General Bureau and the Ministry of State Security are allowed to view, the source said.
“Before the next launch, North Korea will focus on improving camera quality in its technical consultation with Russia.”
Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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