Kwangmyngsng2

Kwangmyongsong-2 was an experimental communications satellite launched by North Korea on April 5, 2009. The official North Korean news agency, KCNA, claimed the satellite was successfully placed into orbit and was transmitting data. However, international observers and military sources reported that the launch was unsuccessful and the object did not reach orbit, or quickly decayed.

The launch was widely condemned by the international community. The United Nations Security Council and several countries, including the United States, Japan, and South Korea, viewed the launch as a violation of UN resolutions that prohibited North Korea from conducting ballistic missile tests. North Korea maintained that the launch was a legitimate exercise in space exploration and that the Kwangmyongsong-2 was purely for peaceful purposes.

Following the launch, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1874, imposing further sanctions on North Korea. The international assessment of the launch's success or failure remains a point of contention, with North Korea consistently asserting its achievements and outside analysts providing evidence to the contrary. The Kwangmyongsong program is a key component of North Korea's efforts to develop its space capabilities, which are closely watched due to their dual-use potential for missile technology.