The case of moving the assembly building to the launch pad is the first time since the launch of the ‘Kwangmyeongseong’ rocket in 2016.
While North Korea announced that it would launch a satellite between 0:00 on the 31st and 0:00 on the 11th of next month, the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Dongchang-ri, Cheolsan-gun, North Pyongan Province and the second launching site under construction nearby are used to mount rockets. A ‘mobile assembly building’ has been confirmed to be active.
The Voice of America (VOA) reported on the 30th that a mobile assembly building is operating in contact with the gantry tower (launch pad) at the Seohae Satellite Launching Site, citing a satellite picture taken on the 29th taken by the private satellite company ‘Planet Labs’. .
This assembly building, which is about 30m wide and 20m long, can go between the main processing building on the east side, where rocket propellants are assembled, and the launch pad on the west side, which is about 140m away from this point, through a track laid on the floor.
The media analyzed this move, saying, “Although North Korea has moved a mobile assembly building to the middle of the launch pad, it is the first time since the launch of the’Kwangmyongsong’ rocket in 2016 that it has made it face to face with the launch pad.”
In another satellite image, it was confirmed that the mobile building of the new launch site, which is being rapidly built by North Korea recently near the West Sea launch site, has also been moved to the launch pad.
The site is taking shape rapidly, with a large concrete pad (135m wide, 40m long) and a rectangular building presumably for rocket assembly (50m wide, 30m long) installed on top of it.
The media reported that this prefabricated building was attached to the southern end of the concrete pad when it was first read through satellite images, but in the newly taken satellite images, it was moved about 60m north, and the roof was also changed from blue to white.
However, the media reported that it was not possible to determine whether the actual rocket was contained in the mobile assembly building captured at the two launch sites or whether the rocket had already been moved and mounted on the gantry tower based on satellite images alone.
David Schumler, senior researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation, said in an interview with the media, “If you use liquid fuel, technically you can launch from both places.”
Senior researcher Schumler said, “At this point, it is most likely that North Korea will use the existing launch pad used in past launches,” adding, “The existing launch pad is more specialized for liquid fuel launches.”
On that day, Ri Pyong-chol, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea, announced in a statement that he would launch a military reconnaissance satellite in June. The day before, North Korea notified the Japanese government and international organizations that it would launch an artificial satellite between 0:00 on the 31st and 0:00 on the 11th of next month.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.