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37-574: The launch happened after North Korea conducted a nuclear test on 6 January and as the United Nations Security Council was deciding on sanctions to be placed on the country following the nuclear test. The launch was also timed to celebrate the 74th birthday of the late leader Kim Jong-il on February 16. On 2 February 2016, North Korea sent a notification to the International Maritime Organization stating that

74-841: A boosted fission weapon . Andre Gsponer of the Independent Scientific Research Institute at the University of Oxford said this technology has "a number of significant technical and military advantages, which explain why it is used in essentially all militarized nuclear weapons, including in India, Pakistan, and North Korea". Quick estimates of the impact of such a weapon "detonated 1,000 meters over downtown Seoul would produce 78,000 fatalities and somewhere around 270,000 estimated injuries", according to Ryan Faith of ViceNews . Analyst Zack Beauchamp of Vox points out that yield and technology in this test "won't fundamentally change

111-471: A hydrogen bomb in "self-defence against US". However, third-party experts as well as officials and agencies in South Korea questioned North Korea's claims and contend that the device was more likely to have been a fission bomb such as a boosted fission weapon . Such weapons use hydrogen fusion to produce smaller, lighter warheads suitable for arming a delivery device such as a missile, rather than to attain

148-531: A "holy war of justice". The North Korean government described the test as a "complete success" and characterized it as self-defense against the United States. North Korean media claimed that the bomb was made the month before the test was carried out. Official state media from the DPRK announced the test. The Korean Central Television (KCTV) said that "the U.S. has gathered forces hostile to [the] DPRK and raised

185-431: A ballistic missile (Unha is the satellite launch version of Taepodong-2 ) capable of hitting the United States. However, some experts at the time believed North Korea was still a decade away from having the capability to successfully deliver a nuclear weapon by means of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and the launch showed slow, but continuous, progress. The director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency stated

222-434: A day and transmitted data on each pass. However, international experts, such as astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell , have not confirmed any transmissions from the satellite. The satellite decayed from orbit on 30 June 2023. The North Korean government organized a fireworks display on February 7, 2016, in commemoration of the launch. South Korea, Japan, the United States and other countries have accused North Korea of testing

259-399: A former worker in the publications department of one of North Korea's top research centres, who defected to South Korea, North Korea began development of the missile in 1987. Very few details concerning the technical specifications of the rocket are public information; even the name "Taepodong-2" is a designation applied by agencies outside North Korea to what is presumed to be a successor to

296-409: A generally lower kiloton yield and are mostly weapons used for specific purposes such as atomic demolition munitions . Tritium boosting is relatively easy to implement and has advantages in yield, weight, size, safety (zero or negligible yield when the tritium is not in the weapon), resistance to spontaneous fission caused by other warheads and high transparency to X-rays. Jeffrey Lewis , expert at

333-402: A little bit more efficient fission weapon – or the hydrogen part of the test really didn't work very well, or the fission part didn't work very well." After considering the seismic data which suggests a 6–9 kiloton yield, other U.S. analysts also do not believe that a hydrogen bomb was detonated. "What we're speculating is they tried to do a boosted nuclear device, which is an atomic bomb that has

370-590: A little bit of hydrogen, an isotope in it called tritium," said Joseph Cirincione , president of the global security firm Ploughshares Fund . On the other hand, John Carlson, a member of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission and former head of the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office declared previous North Korean tests were purely a primary stage, that is, a nuclear explosion, "and fairly low yield at that". However, in

407-408: A slanderous human rights issue to hinder [the] DPRK's improvement. It is [therefore] just to have [an] H-bomb as self-defense against the U.S. having numerous and humongous nuclear weapons. The DPRK's fate must not be protected by any forces but [the] DPRK itself". Ri Chun-hee , the television news anchor who announced the deaths of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il , emerged from retirement to announce

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444-577: A warhead for shorter-range missiles, but not yet for intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. There is a clear distinction between first- and second-generation nuclear weapons, i.e. atomic and hydrogen bombs. However, virtually all second generation bombs use a few grams of deuterium-tritium gas to ensure the reliability and safety of the nuclear fission-explosives. They can then be used on their own as boosted fission bombs or as primaries of two-stage thermonuclear (hydrogen) weapons. Weapons which in contemporary arsenals do not use tritium boosting have

481-601: Is a designation used to indicate what was initially believed to be a North Korean two- or three-stage ballistic missile design that is the successor to the Taepodong-1 technology demonstrator. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Defense assessed that the Taepodong-2 had not been deployed as a missile. The Taepodong-2 is the technology base for the Unha space launch vehicle, and was likely not intended as ICBM technology. As there

518-770: Is difficult to quantify "the exact size of North Korea's nuclear detonations because the depth of the explosive device, properties of the rock surrounding the explosion and other factors influence the seismic measurements produced" because North Korea does not publicize the depth of its tests, although the material at the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site is thought to be hard granite . The tremors were felt in Changbai , Hunchun and Yanji in Jilin province in China. China Central Television released photos of students being evacuated in

555-451: Is no publicly available imagery of the only Taepodong-2 launch in 2006, all estimates of technical parameters are approximate. Based on the size of the missile, the fuel composition, and the likely fuel capacity, it is estimated that a two-stage variant would have a range of around 4,000 km (2,500 statute miles) and a three-stage variant would be capable of reaching as far away as 4,500 km (2,800 statute miles), giving it potentially

592-605: The Center for Nonproliferation Studies , said that a boosted fission weapon is "the most likely scenario in my view, with a failed thermonuclear test a close second". The test was condemned by several governments who called on the United Nations to strengthen its sanctions against North Korea . United Nations Security Council Resolution 2270 was subsequently passed to that effect. Taepodong-2 The Taepodong-2 (TD-2, also spelled as Taep'o-dong 2 ) ( Korean : 대포동 2호 )

629-555: The North American Aerospace Defense Command , said in October 2015 he believed North Korea had rockets with enough range to hit the continental US and added that "the secretive state had already developed 'miniaturised' nuclear bombs that could be fitted to these rockets". David Albright , former United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear inspector, on the contrary, thinks Pyongyang can miniaturize

666-530: The Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site , approximately 50 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of Kilju City in Kilju County , an underground nuclear test was carried out. The United States Geological Survey reported a 5.1 magnitude earthquake from the location; the China Earthquake Networks Center reported the magnitude as 4.9. North Korean media announced that the country had successfully tested

703-568: The United States , the launch also took place on the eve of the Chinese New Year and the Super Bowl in United States . It was initially claimed by U.S. officials that the satellite was "tumbling in orbit" and that no signals had yet been detected being transmitted from it. However, it was later reported the tumbling had been brought under control and the orbit stabilized. This indicates that

740-642: The H-bomb test to both the domestic and international audience. The earthquake caused by the 2016 nuclear test was 5.1 magnitude, similar to the 5.1-magnitude earthquake that accompanied North Korea's previous 2013 nuclear test (which was estimated by South Korea to have a yield of 6–9 kilotons of TNT and Russian estimates of more than 7 kilotons of TNT). Won-Young Kim at the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory explained it "was more powerful than North Korea's previous nuclear test" and added that it

777-560: The International Maritime Organization stating that the launch window had been changed to 7–14 February. The satellite was launched on 7 February 2016 at 00:30 UTC into roughly a Sun-synchronous orbit well suited for an Earth observation satellite , using an Unha launch vehicle at Sohae Space Centre in Cholsan County , North Pyongan Province . Regarded as sending a message to both neighboring China as well as

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814-578: The Taepodong-1. The TD-2 first stage likely uses a liquid propellant (TM-185 fuel and AK-27I oxidizer) driven engine and the second stage likely utilises the Rodong short-range missile. Depending on the range, the estimated payload capacity could be as high as 700–1,000 kg (~1,550 - 2,200 lbs) at short range, making it potentially suitable for conventional weapons payloads, NBC payloads as well as Earth orbit satellite delivery. At maximum range,

851-415: The Taepodong-2 is estimated to have a payload capacity of less than 500 kg (~1,100 lbs). North Korea has yet to demonstrate the ability to produce a re-entry vehicle, without which North Korea cannot deliver a weapon from an ICBM. In 2015, aerospace engineer and North Korea missile program analyst John Schilling stated that North Korea did not seem to be planning to create an operational ICBM from

888-478: The Taepodong-2 technology, and that the Taepodong-2 had been mistakenly identified as an ICBM development, whereas in reality it was a space launch development vehicle. Taepodong-2's first stage consists of four Rodong motors. Little is known about the Taepodong-2 design beyond the first stage. Most likely the second stage is one of the Scud -derived North Korean ballistic missiles (either Rodong-1 or Hwasong-6 ), and

925-482: The area and stated that the ground at a local high school showed cracks. According to China's Foreign Ministry, Beijing had no advance knowledge of the test. Although North Korea declared that the 2016 test was a "successful" demonstration of a hydrogen bomb, international experts and members of the South Korean government expressed skepticism because the explosion was too small; rather, the test may have involved only

962-423: The case of this test, he added that "if it's true, it means they have made something (of a) smaller scale, capable of being put on to a missile" and that North Korea would be aiming to develop a weapon "small enough and light enough to put on to a missile, and the usual parameters are something less than one meter in diameter, and less than a tonne in weight". Admiral Bill Gortney , head of US Northern Command and

999-567: The country had the capacity to launch a hydrogen bomb , a device of considerably more power than conventional atomic bombs used in previous tests. The remark was met with skepticism from the White House and South Korean officials. Around this time, the country approached the United States about possible peace talks to end the Korean War . In a New Year's Day speech, Kim Jong Un warned that provocation from "invasive outsiders" would be met with

1036-428: The country was going to launch a Kwangmyongsong Earth observation satellite with a launch window of 8–25 February between 22:30 UTC and 03:30 UTC given. The notification also included the drop zones for the first stage, the payload fairing and the second stage of the rocket, which was similar to the areas designated for the launch of Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2 . On 6 February 2016, North Korea sent another notification to

1073-484: The destructive power of a true hydrogen bomb. North Korea had previously conducted three underground nuclear tests in 2006 , 2009 , and 2013 , drawing sanctions from the United Nations Security Council . The presidents of the United States and South Korea urged North Korea to rejoin the six-party talks in October 2015. The presidents also warned North Korea against a fourth nuclear test. In December 2015 North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un suggested that

1110-610: The launch was not a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The launch was strongly condemned by the UN Security Council . It prompted South Korea and the United States to announce that they would explore the possibility of deploying Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), an advanced missile defence system, in South Korea, which is strongly opposed by China and Russia . January 2016 North Korean nuclear test North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear detonation on 6 January 2016 at 10:00:01 UTC+08:30 . At

1147-475: The longest range in the North Korean missile arsenal. The burn time of each stage is a little over 100 seconds, thus allowing the missile to burn for 5 or 6 minutes. Speculative variants of the missile could be capable of a range of approximately 9,000 km (5,600 statute miles). At maximum range, the Taepodong-2 is estimated to have a payload capacity of less than 500 kg (~1,100 lbs). According to

Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 - Misplaced Pages Continue

1184-538: The orbit of the satellite, it was in line with the declared purpose. Satellite tracker and astronomer for Leiden Observatory Marco Langbroek captured images of the satellite on February 28; on examining long exposure images, the satellite was either not tumbling or in a very slow tumble. This was also evident by the stability of the brightness of the Sun's reflection when the satellite passed the camera frame. Bob Christy of Zarya website shared results of observing orbital periods of

1221-433: The satellite has established communication with North Korea. The head of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command stated that Kwangmyongsong-4 was almost twice as large as Kwangmyongsong-3, and South Korean officials estimated the mass as 200 kilograms (440 lb). On February 22, Russian news agency TASS reported the statement by Colonel Andrei Kalyuta of Russia's National Space Monitoring Center that, based on

1258-523: The satellite's gravity boom being deployed. North Korea registered the satellite with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs on May 9. In addition to claiming North Korea was planning a Moon mission, Hyon Kwang-il, director of the scientific research department at NADA, said the satellite had completed 2,513 orbits and had transmitted 700 photographic images in the day following its launch. The satellite passed over North Korea four times

1295-409: The satellite, it indicated the satellite was not tumbling and was under control as controlled reduction in altitude of the orbit was detected. North Korea Tech , an affiliate of 38 North , reported on findings made by Langbroek and Christy. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Jonathan Mcdowell concluded satellite was at least partially operational based on visual information and observation of

1332-521: The status quo in the Korean peninsula and it would be more a change in degree than in kind in military terms". Bruce W. Bennett, a senior defense analyst of the RAND Corporation research organization, is also skeptical, telling BBC News that "the bang they should have gotten would have been 10 times greater… So Kim Jong-un is either lying, saying they did a hydrogen test when they didn't, they just used

1369-613: The third stage most likely uses Chinese solid-fuel engines. A Taepodong-2 was test fired on 5 July 2006 from the Tonghae test facility . According to reports, the missile failed in mid-flight about 40 seconds after launch. Subsequent launches were intended to launch satellites, using a Taepodong-2 development called the Unha rocket. After two failures in April 2009 and April 2012, its first successful flight, Unha-3 , occurred in December 2012 with

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