North Korea readies rocket launch

Weeks after testing what it claimed was its first hydrogen bomb, North Korea is to launch a rocket with a similar trajectory – and probably similar or slightly larger in size – to the Unha-3 launched in 2012

Sohae launch site: Launch expected between Feb 8-25, from 07:00-12:00 local time (nine hours ahead of GMT)

CHINA

RUSSIA

N. KOREA

P’yongyang

S. KOREA

Seoul

JAPAN

Tokyo

PACIFIC OCEAN

East China Sea

Okinawa

TAIWAN

PHILIPPINES

500km 300 miles

Danger zone 1 Rocket first stage falls into Yellow Sea (West Sea)

Danger zone 2 Second stage falls into East China Sea

Danger zone 3 Third stage falls east of Philippines

Unha-3 specifications

Length 30m

Mass 88,000kg

Payload 500kg

Range 10,000km

UNHA-3: Three-stage rocket successfully put what North Korea described as communications satellite into orbit in December 2012

Third stage Thought to be identical to upper stage of Iranian Safir missile

Second stage: Soviet-era Scud missile technology. Lack of advanced propellant indicates rocket suited for satellite launch, but
unfit to deliver warhead

Oxidizer

Liquid fuel

First Stage Powered by cluster of four Nodong- class  engines

Sources: FAS, Global Security, Union of Concerned Scientists