(URGENT) S. Korea's first rocket successfully deploys satellite in Earth's orbit

Yonhap News ^ | 08/25/09

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http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/techscience/2009/08/25/79/0601000000AEN20090825008300320F.HTML

S. Korea's 1st rocket lifts off from space center

NARO SPACE CENTER, South Korea, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's first space rocket blasted off from the country's southern coast on Tuesday, carrying a scientific satellite into orbit.

The rocket, called the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1, soared into the sky at 5 p.m. from a launch pad at the Naro Space Center, about 485km south of Seoul.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute in charge of the launch said that 540 seconds after blastoff, the scientific satellite will separate from the rocket at an altitude of 2,055km and deploy its solar panels.

Mission controllers said the first contact with the satellite is expected to take place 11-13 hours after liftoff.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[sonofstrangelove]

The KSLV-1

[AmericanInTokyo]

So THAT's what I just heard!! ;-)

omedetto gozaimasu

[HiTech RedNeck]

The Ronery One is so envious.

[HiTech RedNeck]

What is Japan’s take on this. Are they seeing this through the lens of their ancient historical enmity with South Korea? (Ancient in American terms that is)

[AmericanInTokyo]

[Ronin]

Congratulations ROK!

Nice job!

[AmericanInTokyo]

Nope. The more the merrier. ROK is no threat to Japan. DPRK is. And it is DPRK which is going to get their asses whooped if they don't shape up.

[AmericanInTokyo]

This is one that is a) actually a satellite; and b) actually will be in orbit.

[Joe Boucher]

Good question,
I would think it a two edged sword. Fear from history yet more fear of the future from the Chi-coms.
Japan and S. Korea will both go nuclear if the North Koreans do not disband their nuke program.
Course no one in their right minds should believe the North if it says it has disbanded.

[Ronin]

I doubt if Japan is worried too much about South Korea. They occassionally snarl back and forth at each other, but both nations know full well where the real danger resides.

Frankly speaking, the Japan-ROK squabble resembles a family fued to me. Not that either side would agree.

[ChiMark]

Will the great Zero denounce this as an act of aggression against his buddy in the North?

[Ronin]

Nope. The more the merrier. ROK is no threat to Japan. DPRK is. And it is DPRK which is going to get their asses whooped if they don't shape up.

While I tend to agree, I hope Japan keeps spending defense dollars on Patriot missile batteries for the JASDF and SM-3 missiles for the JMSDF.

I don't know about you AIT, but I am a mite uncomfortable knowing that I am in missile range of the "Dear Leader".

[TigerLikesRooster]

Japan's reaction is two-fold according to what I heard.

1) Some Japanese news report talks about looming arms-race in E. Asia. Considering S. Korea still has beef with Japan, their rocket capability is a concern for Japanese, so Japan should make its own efforts in rearming (and probably going nuclear.)

2) During Lee Myung-bak's visit to Japan, S. Korea secured business venture with Mitsubishi about developing liquid booster rocket, which currently S. Korea cannot produce on its own. I don't think this was purely a business decision. After all, we are talking about rockets. This may be a decision from Japanese part to make a counter move against China and N. Korea. That is, "If you do not behave, Japan can have S. Korea help develop strategic arsenals."

[TigerLikesRooster]

It is more effective to send a message in the form of rocket launch than having endless 6-party talks. S. Korea developing key technology for strategic arsenal would do a better job of persuading China to rethink its policy on N. Korea or E. Asia in general.

[AmericanInTokyo]

With one finger (on the button) if there is such a device, he would be of the mind to launch the Taepodong or Nodong against Japan and the USA, and then with a finger on the trigger from the other hand, holding a Russian pistol and then blowing his own brains out Hitler style. Kim Jong-il is such the nut to do such a genocidal/suicidal thing. Yes, it is of great concern, but one tries not to think about it daily Not as bad as trying to brave the bullets just going to the market in Sarajevo years ago, but still unnerving nevertheless.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Japan is going to get permanently PAC-3-ed all up and down the archipelago, starting with Hokkaido and Misawa in the north, moving downward. They better move quickly. Enough of this keystone cop approach of rushing out the PAC-3 on trucks while the Norkies already had that hot bird on the pad at Musudan-ri.

Also, three cheers for CVN-68, the USS NIMITZ. It entered port in Japan just this morning....quite a sight. (photo below today):

OPEN SOURCE.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Nice to have the Nimitz there, even nicer if we had a CIC who was willing to tell it to go whoop azz.

[GeronL]

good for them

[GeronL]

Just a note to whoever might see the pic.

They don’t actually keep THAT many planes on the deck all the time, it was a photo-op

[AmericanInTokyo]

Yep. They always do that when they enter Yokosuka. Same for Kitty Hawk. Same for Midway.

[GeronL]

NAVY likes to show off.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

Congrats to the S. Koreans on their technological achievement!

[tanuki]

WOO-HOO! Thanks for the good news.