During a party congress in Jan 2021, Kim revealed a wish list that included developing military reconnaissance satellites.
The Chollima-1 seems to be a new design and most likely uses the dual-nozzle liquid-fuelled engines developed for Pyongyang’s Hwasong-15 ICBM, which has roots in Soviet designs, analysts said.
South Korea has recovered some of the Chollima-1 wreckage – including, for the first time, parts of a satellite.
Seoul said the satellite had little military value, though analysts said any working satellite in space would provide North Korea with better intelligence on its enemies.
“To the best of our knowledge, North Korea has a very limited capacity to building satellites,” said Brian Weeden of the Secure World Foundation, a US-based space policy and security organisation. “None of them appeared to have any significant capability.”
WHY ARE NORTH KOREA’S SATELLITES SO CONTROVERSIAL?
The United States and its allies called North Korea’s latest satellite tests clear violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit the development of technology applicable to North Korea’s ballistic missile programs.
United Nations resolutions – passed with Russia’s support – also ban any scientific and technical cooperation with North Korea in nuclear science and technology, aerospace and aeronautical engineering and technology, or advanced manufacturing production techniques and methods.
North Korea has said its space program and defence activities are its sovereign right.
Source: CNA
