By Adam Levine
North Korea's opening of its launch pad to journalists has been a boon to North Korea watchers who have relied mostly on satellite imagery to take stock of the country's progress in developing long range missile and rocket capability. The flood of still photos and video have helped shape their understanding of what North Korea is up to.
"It is almost like a painting of the entire site," said Allison Puccioni, an analyst with IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. "I think we are learning a lot about North Korea."
The closeup shots have allowed Puccioni to get a better sense of the dimensions of the rocket program and of the facilities.
The shot further confirm that "the facility was built for a rocket probably a good deal larger than the actual Unha-3 that is being launched," Puccioni said in an interview with CNN.
The fuel housing buildings are much larger than the ones at an older North Korean facility that launched rockets similar in size to the one currently on the launch pad, she said.
The launch tower facility holding the current rocket is about 50% larger than the rocket itself, Puccioni said, adding it "almost looks like a little kid wearing a big kids clothes."
DigitalGlobe's Joseph Bermudez said the ground level access has "certainly helped" confirm what he is seeing from the skies. Bermudez is a senior analyst for the satellite imagery company and has been studying North Korea for 30 years.
"There is an innate fascination with any ground imagery from North Korea because it is so rare," Bermudez told CNN.
Both Bermudez and Puccioni said it was very telling what North Korea left in and what they left out of the journalists' tour.
"They are really trying to show the media that it is a peaceful operation, but the attempts are facile," said Puccioni. It was "pretty curated and carefully choreographed."
Recent satellite imagery shows the regime tore down military barracks ahead of the journalists' tour, she said.
"They are going to call it beautification, but it was a deliberate attempt" to change the image, she said. "You can't demilitarize North Korea."
Bermudez too noted that the tour gave a unique view, but not the whole picture. He said the journalists were taken into what they were told was the mission command center but the pictures he saw from inside only bolstered his impression that they were not seeing everything.
Based on satellite imagery he has viewed during the construction, the building is actually meant for checking out the satellite and loading it into the missile component that will carry the satellite into space. Bermudez said he could see that on the ceiling of the command center there were cranes.
"You don't have those cranes in a building that is just a control center," said Bermudez.
Tim Brown, an analyst with GlobalSecurity.org, observed that the stream of photographs and video taken by journalists at the launch pad site this weekend was pay-dirt for North Korea watchers.
"Previously, we have had to view the new launch site from 200 miles up with imaging satellites hurtling at 4 miles per second. Obeying the laws of Kepler, they are over the site for a few seconds at a time, arriving and departing at the same time of day, once every three days," he said in a posting on Global Security.
"With this "ground truth" image, we no longer have to squint at satellite images, trying to guess the height of the Unha-3 missile," he said. "It is about 29.5 meters, plus or minus 5%. We can see clearly that there are four movable service platforms, each with four levels, one either side of the rocket. The movable launch pad is about 2.5 meters high."
The photos show that the crane on top of the tower is pretty much the same type of crane you see on top of buildings during construction, Brown said. Closeup shots of the rocket show gray panels that are likely antennae to transmit telemetry.
A former military imagery analyst, writing on 38North.org, a site run by Johns Hopkins University, agrees that the new photos and video reveal North Korea has plans for a bigger rocket or missile. A South Korean paper reported earlier this month of a new 40-meter missile spied by satellites. U.S. sources questioned whether it was anything more than a mock-up.
But the new images indicate the North Koreans have room to grow at their launch facility, said the analyst Nick Hansen. Hansen writes that analyzing recent photos and satellite images suggests Kim Jong-Un's regime "is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile with longer range and greater capabilities than the one scheduled for testing this week."
"The Unha-3 rocket is set on a 7-meter high mobile launch platform. The 30-meter long rocket comes up to the second level of the fourth set of work platforms, leaving about 10 meters of the tower, enough to accommodate the reported new 40-meter rocket," Hansen wrote.
Hansen points to other clues including a satellite image from 2008 that shows a plug for the mobile launch pad that can reduce the size of the hole through which the rocket blast will fire to accommodate the Unha-3. But the actual hole is much bigger and Hansen noted "the plug can be removed to accommodate a larger rocket."
A 2006 satellite image taken during the launch area construction shows storage tanks in nearby buildings "greatly exceed what would be needed to fuel the rocket for this week's launch." Hansen noted the same is true of a nearby rocket engine test stand that appears designed to "fire larger, higher energy engines than the facility at the" the old launch site.
Hansen observed that none of this is "definitive" because "North Korea's WMD programs is scarce, even for governments watching Pyongyang closely." But he added that all the new images add pieces to the puzzle gives "a rare glimpse into Pyongyang's future plans as it moves down the road to becoming a small nuclear power, a development that has major implications for international peace and security."
This DigitalGlobe satellite image from April 12, 2012 showing a lot of activity on the launch pad
It also only gave journalists a brief of glimpse into the activity. A new image collected by DigitalGlobe on Wednesday shows significantly more activity which Bermudez said is "indicative of activity immediately pre-launch."
hydoxychloroquine https://pharmaceptica.com/
tadalafil peptide https://www.pharmaceptica.com/
where to buy sildenafil citrate online https://pharmaceptica.com/
157579 446754If you have been injured as a result of a defective IVC Filter, you ought to contact an experienced attorney practicing in medical malpractice cases, specifically someone with experience in these lawsuits. 517105
where to buy sildenafil canada https://www.pharmaceptica.com/
tadalafil vs cialis reviews https://pharmaceptica.com/
erectile injection video https://pharmaceptica.com/
359754 699389Good V I should definitely pronounce, impressed with your web site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs and related information ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it at all. 902764
Best view i have ever seen !
https://www.google.com.ly/url?q=https://j-website.net
chloroquine phosphate side effects https://www.pharmaceptica.com/
erectile disorder mayo clinic https://www.pharmaceptica.com/
hydroxy cloroquin chloroquine diphosphate what is hydroxychloroquine used for arthritis
hydroxychloroquine 200 mg twice a day buy aralen online uk hydroxichlorine
hydrochloroquine chloroquine side effects chloroquine plaquenil
chloroquinolone 20201023 chloroquine phosphate vs chloroquine sulphate
chloroquine hydroxychloroquine sulfate oral chloroquine moa
tadalafil com generic cialis tadalafil tadalis sx 20 mg ajanta pharma
tadalafil tablets ip cialis generic cost tadalafil generic
tadalis sx side effects for tadalafil tadalafil 10mg
erectafil-5 cialis without prescription tadalafil effects
prescription tadalafil online is tadalafil and cialis the same thing tadalafil goodrx
tadalafil pah tadalafil vs cialis reviews tadalafil citrate
chloronique hydroxychloroquine where to buy chloroquine phosphate side effects
Grow a second income™
http://FreeMoneyOpportunity.com
tadifil https://tadalisxs.com/ procalis
tadalafil side effects what is tadalafil buy tadalis generic cialis online fast shipping https://tadacipetadalafil.com/
cialis without a prescription tadalafil generic buy cialis pills generic cialis tadalafil https://tadalafilol.com/ – tadalafil generic where to buy
https://apcalisetadalafil.com/ side effects of tadalafil https://tadagatadalafil.com/ – tadalafil generic where to buy buy tadalafil
https://tadacipetadalafil.com/ tadalafil brands tadalafil buy cialis pills where to buy tadalafil on line
cialis cost https://tadacipetadalafil.com/ – tadalafil brands lowest price cialis generic cialis tadalafil https://tadalafilww.com/
combigan generic prices buy combigan online
https://tadagatadalafil.com/ buy generic cialis online with mastercard https://cttadalafil.com/ – tadalafil cost in canada cialis at canadian pharmacy
where to buy generic cialis online safely tadalafil drug buy tadalafil tadalafil side effects https://tadalafilww.com/
tadalafil side effects https://cttadalafil.com/ best price usa tadalafil canada generic tadalafil where to order tadalafil tablets
buy generic brimonidine brimonidine side effects
what is tadalafil prescription tadalafil online cialis without prescription tadalafil side effects https://tadalafilol.com/ – buy tadalis
where to buy tadalafil on line what is tadalafil tadalafil liquid cialis tadalafil https://tadalafilol.com/
buy avanafil canada avanafil india
where to buy cialis without prescription tadalafil liquid tadalafil online with out prescription cheapest tadalafil cost https://tadagatadalafil.com/
cost tadalafil generic tadalafil side effects tadalafil daily online https://tadacipetadalafil.com/
avanafil vs cialis avanafil vs cialis
https://cttadalafil.com/ tadalafil online with out prescription https://tadacipetadalafil.com/ – canada generic tadalafil cialis without prescription
https://tadalafilww.com/ tadalafil drug best price usa tadalafil tadalafil order online no prescription tadalafil
where to buy tadalafil on line tadalafil online with out prescription tadalafil cost walmart cost tadalafil generic https://tadacipetadalafil.com/
tadalafil goodrx https://tadalafilww.com/ – cheap cialis pills for sale tadalafil order online no prescription cost of cialis canada generic tadalafil
combigan coupon combigan eye drops
cost tadalafil generic https://tadalafilol.com/ – what is tadalafil buy tadalis side effects for tadalafil tadalafil daily online
buy cialis pills https://tadacipetadalafil.com/ buy tadalis tadalafil online with out prescription where to order tadalafil tablets
tadalafil generic tadalafil side effects cheap cialis pills for sale canada generic tadalafil https://cttadalafil.com/
tadalafil cialis https://tadalafilol.com/ – prescription tadalafil online tadalafil order online no prescription buy tadalis https://tadagatadalafil.com/
generic tadalafil from uk where to buy generic cialis online safely tadalafil dosage buy cialis pills https://tadalafilol.com/ – tadalafil generic
https://cttadalafil.com/ tadalafil order online no prescription best price usa tadalafil generic cialis tadalafil tadalafil generic
cyclosporine for humans cyclosporine pharmacology
tadalafil cialis https://tadalafilww.com/ – tadalafil liquid cialis at canadian pharmacy cost tadalafil generic https://tadalafilww.com/
tadalafil goodrx best price usa tadalafil cialis at canadian pharmacy tadalafil cialis https://tadacipetadalafil.com/ – generic cialis online fast shipping
buy brimonidine online combigan side effects
side effects of tadalafil https://cttadalafil.com/ cialis tadalafil cheap generic cialis for sale buy tadalis
combigan cost combigan bottle sizecombigan
https://tadacipetadalafil.com/ tadalafil https://apcalisetadalafil.com/ – where to buy tadalafil on line tadalafil brands
resochin https://chloroquineorigin.com/ – aralen where to buy clonidin buy chloroquine phosphate raoult coronavirus
cyclomune cyclomune 0.1% eye drops
clonidin https://chloroquineorigin.com/ arechin malaraquin hcq
Hello! This can be my to start with take a look at towards your blog! We are a bunch of volunteers and commencing a completely new initiative in a Local community in the identical area of interest
https://confirm.promio-mail.com/setcookie.php?comeback=https://www.mt-tapa114.com
combigan eye drops generic buy combigan online
cyclomune eye drops 1% cyclosporine cost
Whats Going down i'm new to this, I stumbled upon this I've discovered It positively helpful and it has aided me out loads. I'm hoping to contribute & help other customers like its aided me. Good job.
http://www.stornobrzinol.com/
avana tablet avanafil 50mg
avanafil buy avanafil india
Well said Bryan, well said 🙂
http://www.tildee.com/FbShkc
Your home is valueble for me. Thanks!…
http://www.stornobrzinol.com/
Hey there, You've done a great job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I'm confident they'll be benefited from this website.
http://www.stornobrzinol.com/
¡Es genial escuchar a otro miembro satisfecho, Martin! ¿Esperas que tu negocio de Internet muestre signos de éxito? 🙂
https://609d5bbc29b87.site123.me/blog/busca-trabajo-en-italia-no-se-gradC39Aan-en-ingenierC38Da
chloroguine https://chloroquineorigin.com/ chroloquine
priligy 60 mg priligy tablets
Best view i have ever seen !
https://maps.google.cat/url?q=https://topphimhot.net
priligy pills for sale priligy tablets uk
dapoxetine priligy pills for sale
chloroquine phosphate vs chloroquine sulphate https://chloroquineorigin.com/ chloroquine amazon
average perscription pills taken by 65 year old canadian? https://canadapillstorex.com/ canadian diet pills
best viagra pills 25 mg canada pharmacy https://canadaviagrastore.com/ viagra in canada
buying canadian cialis https://canadacialisstore.com/ canadian pharmacy for cialis
canada viagra https://canadaviagrastore.com/ buy viagra from canada?
canadian pharmacy for cialis https://canadacialisstore.com/ canadian pharmacy no perscription generic cialis
canadian pharmacy cialis without prescription https://canadacialisstore.com/ canadian generic cialis 20mg
canadian pills pharmacy https://canadapillstorex.com/ canadian weight loss pills
buy avanafil uk avanafil cost
erectile disorder treatment https://canadaerectiledysfunctionpills.com/ erectile bands