N.Korea announces satellite enters preset orbit

South also says North's launch seems successful

By Jun Ji-hye

North Korea announced Sunday that its “Earth observation satellite” entered its preset orbit in 9 minutes and 46 seconds after the lift-off at 9:30 a.m.

Pyongyang made a “special announcement” at 12:30 p.m., saying that a report issued by the North’s National Aerospace Development Administration stated that its scientists and technicians succeeded in putting the newly developed earth observation satellite “Kwangmyongsong-4” into its orbit according to the 2016 plan of the five-year program for national aerospace development.

South Korean military also said the North is believed to have succeeded in its rocket launch.

According to Pyongyang’s state-run media, the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued an autograph order on launching the satellite on Saturday.

The KCNA noted that the satellite is going round the polar orbit at 494.6-kilometer perigee altitude and 500-kilometer apogee altitude at the angle of inclination of 97.4 degrees.

“Its cycle is 94 minutes and 24 seconds,” it said, adding that installed in Kwangmyongsong-4 are measuring apparatuses and telecommunications apparatuses needed for observing the earth.

It continued, “The complete success is the proud fruition of the great Workers’ Party of Korea’s policy on attaching importance to science and technology and an epochal event in developing the country’s science, technology, economy and defense capability by legitimately exercising the right to use space for independent and peaceful purposes.”

It added the National Aerospace Development Administration will in the future, too, launch more satellites into the space, true to the great Workers’ Party of Korea’s policy of attaching importance to science and technology.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the communist state launched a long-range rocket, which is considered as a cover for test-firing of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, from its Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Tongchang-ri at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

Pyongyang notified the International Maritime Organization (IMO), on Feb. 2, of its intention to launch the satellite between Feb. 8 and 25.

Then it notified the IMO again, on Saturday, of its modified plan to launch it between Feb. 7 and 14.