Article Posted on : - Dec 29, 2009

Kwangmyongsong (Bright star) is an experimental communications satellite developed by North Korea for the space projects.

North Korea launched its first satellite Kwangmyongsong-1 on 31st August 1998 from Musudan-ri using a Paektusan rocket. The satellite was designed by the China National Space Administration.

On April, 2009, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched Kwangmyongsong-2 into the space. Scientists were successful in putting the experimental communications satellite into the orbit by means of carrier rocket Unha-2. The launch took place from the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground at Musudan-ri in northeastern area of North Korea.

The satellite currently moves around the earth along its elliptic orbit and have an orbital period of 104 minutes and 12 seconds. Its orbital parameters consist of 490 kilometers (300 mi) perigee and 1,426 kilometers (886 mi) apogee.

The satellite also includes transmitters that broadcast the Song of General Kim Il-sung, the Song of General Kim Jong-Il and "Juche Korea" in morse code and measure information at 470 MHz.

The satellite calculates the data with the presence of temperature and pressure in space and the conditions of its power source and send the results back to Earth.

The satellite works as a key factor to resolve the scientific and technological problems of the outer space and promote the scientific research of the nation. Recently, North Korea has displayed a model of its experimental communications satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 at a public exhibition in Pyongyang.

- Courtesy:
      Global Security Website
       Korean Central News Agency