North Korean Sattelite Launch?

[Urwumpe]

Yes, but SK and Japan as well. The "self-defense" forces of Japan are far bigger as the most favorable estimate of the NK military.

 

[willy88]

I find it funny how confident North Korea is about attacking other, larger, much more advanced nations. Just one fair-sized aircraft carrier could probably take down the entire North Korean military.

 

[Notebook]

More stuff:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7982835.stm

N.

 

[joiz]

You think too one dimensional. It is not the payload that is the danger. It is the technology. Think about it. It is not about satellites and even one dozen warheads would not change the world. It is about the technology inside the rocket, which is interesting for such nations. The same circuits which guide a rocket into space, can make a tank more capable. Who can build rocket engines, quickly learns to build other turbomachinery better: Jet engines, gas turbines, even piston engines profit from rockets.

You think the Minuteman III was important for the USA for its unlimited second strike capability? The integrated circuits inside its computer really changed the world. It was the first application of such circuits and a whole lot of research money flowed into semiconductors and integrated circuits over the Minuteman program.

Don't listen to the stupidity of your politicians. They see the peak of the iceberg and think the world will be safe, if they just destroy this peak. Your leaders are officially stupid and blind - as stupid and blind as the average Joe, who elects them. Even if they have the brain to understand the implications, they need to talk stupid, for getting elected by people, who will never understand strategic planning. You get the politicians you deserve.

Obama is not stupid, bush is not stupid, no politician is stupid. but it doesn't mean I like it.

 

[RisingFury]

Obama is not stupid, bush is not stupid, no politician is stupid. but it doesn't mean I like it.

No no... quite a lot of politicians *are* stupid.

 

[BHawthorne]

I don't see what the debate is about, taking into account simple facts, you don't breach the airspace of another nation without permission. It has no bearing what the payload is or if you call it a "launch vehicle" or a "ballistic missile".

 

[Kyle]

Dear, this looks like its going to very quickly turn into a Japan vs North Korea war if Japan shoots it down. If America shoots it down thats an act of war on Americas part, or basically the Second Korean War. Lets just hope it blows up on the pad.

 

[Andy44]

A Japan vs. NK war? Yeah right. More like an aerial shooting gallery for Japanese fighter pilots followed by...not much. NK cannot invade Japan, they don't have enough real missiles to do any damage, their air force is ancient, and I wouldn't bet 2 pennies on NK's navy being any match for Japan, with the latter's maritime tradition and modern equipment.

NK, is, like all communist dictatorships, full of hot air and bulls**t. They can't feed their own army, for cryin' out loud. They are paranoid that they will be finished off soon, so they feel they have to bully and threaten. And they have no credibility to speak of.

If they launch a rocket, no matter what it's payload, over Japanese airspace, they should expect Japan to use it for target practice. And then they should STFU.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

If America shoots it down thats an act of war on Americas part, or basically the Second Korean War. Lets just hope it blows up on the pad.

We actually haven't officially ended the first Korean war. A 'temporary' armistice was signed in 1953, but no peace treaty was ever established. The current DMZ and force status agreement dates to that armistice.

 

[Chipstone306]

back to the subject....High winds at the launch site today no launch maybe tomorrow.... can anyone post telemetry data for a scenario launch from that position?

ps anyone ever hear of the movie october sky?

 

[Kyle]

back to the subject....High winds at the launch site today no launch maybe tomorrow.... can anyone post telemetry data for a scenario launch from that position?

ps anyone ever hear of the movie october sky?

Absolutely awesome movie,
Books even better.

 

[Andy44]

ps anyone ever hear of the movie october sky?

Yeah, it was just on the other day on AMC.

 

[ASCII]

The launch was just announced in the US.
Awaiting more news.

 

[StarLost]

Confirmatory press conference was supposed to be held at 0300 UTC. I haven't seen that yet, but BBC, CP and others are reporting the launch has occurred.

Reports from Japan state that the second stage has splashed down into the Pacific.

I have also not heard any confirming details of a satellite being placed in orbit.

Not sure what the big deal is. So they want to pretend that they have joined the big boys (US, Russia, Japan, China, India, Iran, Brasil). It is ludicrous for one nation or set of nations to protest what Pandora let out of the bottle, since they are the ones who played Pandora in the first place.

As for someone here decrying "overflying" someone's airspace, every nation that has launched a satellite or had a satellite launched for it does that everyday. It is no big deal.

Now, if they commit an overt hostile act ...

 

[Notebook]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7982874.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7984016.stm

N.

 

[BHawthorne]

Now, if they commit an overt hostile act ...

Funny, I thought launching a missile towards another country and actually have it fly over it within the atmosphere was a great example of an overt hostile act? Satellites are in space, but this was a "launch vehicle", "missile", whatever politically correct label you want to give it in the atmosphere.

Also, those that know these type of things, was the flight path they used necessary for orbital insertion, or did they specifically pick that path to piss in the wind?

 

[Andy44]

I don't think there is a launch path out of North Korea that doesn't cross over populated land in any direction. If they wanted to exercise range safety they would have to use an island in the Pacific or lease land from someone else. Launching over Japan is gross violation of range safety. The US doesn't launch shuttles over Cuba for the same reason, because rockets are dangerous and they shed stages to boot.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Not sure what the big deal is. So they want to pretend that they have joined the big boys (US, Russia, Japan, China, India, Iran, Brasil).

I must correct you, Starlost: it's not Brasil but Israel that must be on your list. And you completely left out Europe as well as France and GB as an independent space-capable countries! Speaking of the launch, I don't care much how did the rocket end up. I think it's most important that no war has happened over it.

 

[Notebook]

I don't think there is a launch path out of North Korea that doesn't cross over populated land in any direction. If they wanted to exercise range safety they would have to use an island in the Pacific or lease land from someone else. Launching over Japan is gross violation of range safety. The US doesn't launch shuttles over Cuba for the same reason, because rockets are dangerous and they shed stages to boot.

The uk had an idea for launching Blue Streak from England, not sure if the Scots would have appreciated it?

http://www.spaceuk.org/bstreak/bs/cumbria.htm

Launching any missile towards the USSR would probably have been a bad idea in the late 60's

N.

 

[flaugher]

You know, this stuff IS starting to get out of hand, but I don't know what we can do about it. Sometimes I sit back and think not about current leaders but rather what REAL American leadership might be doing ... which in my opinion we haven't had since Eisenhower.

The problem today is we can't get two advanced nations to agree on anything at the same time. We need a united front to clean up space, or at least keep it from turning into a shrapnel yard. Unfortunately, in many minds that means throwing ourselves at the UN, which of course will provoke sovereinty uprisings among nations ... sorta like what made people start listening to Hitler. Add to that the fact that we're in tough economic times, which means that the Anarchists are feeling 'empowered' and ... well ... this is just getting too thick.

I agree Kim is just wanting attention. He IS a knot-heat. I just hope he doesn't throw a temper tantrum and say or do something that makes somebody, somewhere, fire off a nuke or two. :blackeye: