The satellite that North Korea launched early Wednesday appears to be tumbling out of control, according to unnamed U.S. officials.
The satellite that North Korea launched early Wednesday appears to be tumbling out of control, according to unnamed U.S. officials.
The Defense Department does have the capability to detect a tumbling satellite, especially if its solar panels are visible, though I must emphasize that the information here is so vague it hardly means anything. Regardless, the real issue here is not that North Korea put a working satellite into orbit, but that it now has the rocket capability to put anything into orbit. For us this is not a good thing: A rogue nation that is trying to build nuclear weapons that is also officially still at war with our ally South Korea now has this capability.
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The satellite that North Korea launched early Wednesday appears to be tumbling out of control, according to unnamed U.S. officials.
The Defense Department does have the capability to detect a tumbling satellite, especially if its solar panels are visible, though I must emphasize that the information here is so vague it hardly means anything. Regardless, the real issue here is not that North Korea put a working satellite into orbit, but that it now has the rocket capability to put anything into orbit. For us this is not a good thing: A rogue nation that is trying to build nuclear weapons that is also officially still at war with our ally South Korea now has this capability.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either. IMPORTANT! If you donate enough to get a book, please email me separately to tell me which book you want and the address to mail it to.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
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Cortaro, AZ 85652
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There are three objects in orbit: the satellite, a rocket body and debris. Any idea what the debris is? The fairing?
I agree with the seriousness of the situation, and would also add that a similar cavalier attitude has accompanied similar events:
December 1941: The Japanese are nearsighted and their aircraft are junk.
Sputnik 1957: It’s just one rocket, and just a beeping little ball, anyway.
We are being fed the tumbling story in the same way, and we risk being blindsided again.
No. But this is interesting information. Is the rocket body an upper stage?
All I know is that it is a rocket body. Upper stage is a good assumption.
A recent news story notes that the N. Korea launch violates UN sanctions. The UN is formulating an ‘appropriate’ response. Maybe they’ll write a really strongly worded letter.
I am more concerned that NK has not worked with any of the other space capable nations during this launch.
They could have at least openly told everyone about the launch and picked a low orbit out of the way of other satellites. Just in case something like this happened.
Its inevitable that any organized group of people with the funding will find a way into orbit. It can not be stopped. But at least traffic and safety regulations can be set up and followed.
The fact that they are this irresponsible with their first payload sort of points to just how irresponsible they will be with their actual working payloads. Lets hope this one was not a nuclear payload set to go off on re-entry.
How can we expect them to be any safer or better in the coming years?
Being a nuclear power also tends to mean you have to be a little extra cautious with them. You can’t just toss them into the air and hope they will hit their target. First off that makes for a really bad weapon and inefficient/inaccurate weapons are no real threat to your enemy.
They need to step up their game and start looking a bit more professional before I would be concerned about them being a threat to my country.