Kwangmyŏngsŏng 4 [KCTV]
Kwangmyŏngsŏng 4 (광명성 4) is a North Korean earth observation satellite built by the National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA).
Reportedly the satellite carries some earth observation equipment and has a weight of ~200 kg. Images from TV, allegedly of Kwangmyŏngsŏng 4, show a cubic body with two deployable unarticulated solar arrays and two camera apertures on the nadir side.
Kwangmyŏngsŏng 4 launched on 7 February 2016 on an Unha-3 rocket from the Sŏhae Satellite Center in Ch’ŏlsan County, North P’yŏngan Province. It entered a sun-synchronous orbit of 465 km × 501 km with an inclination of 97.5. No signals have been detected from the satellites and ground observations show, that it was initially tumbling. An analysis by Bob Christy suggests a significant shortfall in 3rd stage performance of the Unha-3 (Kwangmyŏngsŏng) launch vehicle.
Nation: | North Korea |
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Type / Application: | Earth observation |
Operator: | NADA |
Contractors: | NADA |
Equipment: | 2 cameras |
Configuration: | |
Propulsion: | |
Power: | 2 deployable fixed solar arrays, solar cells, batteries |
Lifetime: | |
Mass: | ~ 200 kg |
Orbit: | 465 km × 501 km, 97.5 |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
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Kwangmyŏngsŏng 4 (KMS 4) | 2016-009A | 07.02.2016 | So LP-1 | p | Unha-3 |