And in the end, it flew away (but not so away)

In the end, Korea launched his rocket/missile. No-one had to intercept anything and the Third World War will have to wait for now. But it’s not clear if the Taepodong-2 (with or without its orbital payload) reached the outer space or not.

Propaganda from each side prays for different outcomes. PDRK says the satellite is already in orbit transmitting songs in honor of Kim Jong-Il and his predecessor.

Americans, however, maintain a different version. The rocket was fired, deployed his first stage but failed to separate from the second stage and felt into the Pacific Ocean. If that’s true, it would be the third fail of a Taepodong-2 missile. Final score (for now): Gravity 3 – Korea 0. These guys really suck.

But even if at the end the satellite is transmitting from a subacuatic orbit, Jong-Il still could be in position to celebrate it. So far, this launch at least was capable to separate the first stage. That’s much better performance than 2006 test, when the missile disintegrated less than a minute after launching.

And although the second and third stage couldn’t make it into orbit, providing that the telemetric from the rocket was sending correct data to base, now the Koreans will have plenty of data to analyze and check the problems.

Also politically, this launch rises the stokes for North Korea in an eventual negotiation about nukes or disarment.

But as appointed by the CNN, PDRK is still way far from being capable of suppose a threat to Europe or America. The payload in this launch (the satellite) was probably of about between 150 and 200 kg. A first-generation A-bomb (like the nukes tech the Koreans have) weights at least 1,000 kg. Too much work still to do.

Meanwhile, even alter the launch, the protests, the condemn from many world leaders –including Obama-, the UN is still unable to reach consensus on the matter. China is really working to calm down down everyone, indeed.



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