The Taepodong-2 (TD-2, also spelled as Taep'o-dong 2) (<!--, meaning "large cannon" -->) is a designation used to indicate what was initially believed to be a North Korean two- or three-stage ballistic missile design that is the successor to the Taepodong-1 technology demonstrator. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Defense assessed that the Taepodong-2 had not been deployed as a missile. The Taepodong-2 is the technology base for the Unha space launch vehicle, and was likely not intended as ICBM technology.

Based on the size of the missile, the fuel composition, and the likely fuel capacity, it is estimated that a two-stage variant would have a range of around and a three-stage variant would be capable of reaching as far away as , giving it potentially the longest range in the North Korean missile arsenal.

Very few details concerning the technical specifications of the rocket are public information; even the name "Taepodong-2" is a designation applied by agencies outside North Korea to what is presumed to be a successor to the Taepodong-1. The TD-2 first stage likely uses a liquid propellant (TM-185 fuel and AK-27I oxidizer) driven engine and the second stage likely utilises the Rodong short-range missile. Depending on the range, the estimated payload capacity could be as high as at short range, making it potentially suitable for conventional weapons payloads, NBC payloads as well as Earth orbit satellite delivery. At maximum range, the Taepodong-2 is estimated to have a payload capacity of less than .

Launches

2006 test

A Taepodong-2 was test fired on 5 July 2006 from the Tonghae test facility. According to reports, the missile failed in mid-flight about 40 seconds after launch.

Subsequent Unha launches

Subsequent launches were intended to launch satellites, using a Taepodong-2 development called the Unha rocket. After two failures in April 2009 and April 2012, its first successful flight, Unha-3, occurred in December 2012 with the launch of the second version of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 satellite.

This successful flight was repeated on 7 February 2016 (UTC) with the successful launch of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 using a similar rocket as Unha-3 even though the rocket is officially named as Kwangmyŏngsŏng (not to be confused with the satellite with the same name).

See also

  • Military of North Korea
  • North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
  • 2006 North Korean missile test

References

  • CSIS Missile Threat - Taepodong-2 (Unha-3)
  • The Best U.S. Response to North Korea's Failed Missile Test NOW on PBS, 7 July 2006
  • Nuclear Threat Initiative profile
  • Federation of American Scientists profile
  • GlobalSecurity.org Background
  • Taepodong-2 Design Heritage Imagery @ GlobalSecurity.org
  • USA Today piece on 20 June 2006
  • NKorea may be set for long-range missile launch: reports, 2 February 2009