North Korean Satellite "Tumbling In Orbit," U.S. Officials Say

[Purveyor]

Source: CBS NEWS

The satellite sent into space over the weekend in a controversial launch is now "tumbling in orbit," U.S. officials tell CBS News correspondent David Martin.

It's the second time the North has tried but failed to put a satellite into stable orbit.

North Korea actually claims to have put four satellites into orbit, but the first two have never been confirmed by anyone else.

However, experts worldwide agree it got one into orbit in 2012 and NORAD, which is hardly a propaganda mouthpiece for Pyongyang, now has both that and the satellite launched on Sunday on its official satellite list.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-korea-satellite-tumbling-in-orbit-u-s-officials-say/?google_editors_picks=true

[MADem]

1. What did they do, throw a toaster oven up there, or something?

So much for the "National Security Issue of the YEAR!!!"

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Laugh, sucker. Rocket that can launch small satellite can launch mini nuke.

While I agree it is not the "National Security Issue of the YEAR!!!", your post misses the boat. It's not about orbiting satellites.

A rocket powerful enough to orbit a small satellite can send a larger sub-orbital mini-nuke to your part of the USA. Given NK track record on nukes it is likely to be effectively a very dirty bomb, polluting a wide area with nuclear radiation.

If you think 9-11 was a terrorist act that skewed US politics badly ever since, you'd be astounded at how much worse effect an NK ICBM nuke explosion would have. Do you like Ted Cruz? (rhetorical question only)

[Xolodno]

24. I share your concern...but....

...the Fat Boy is only doing this as leverage (for what, remains to be seen). He can't launch any war, conventional or nuclear without China.

China knows full well, if he detonates a nuke on South Korea or Japan....the US will detonate one over him. And the radiation of both will drift into China causing them a huge problem. If he got out of hand, they would probably ask Putin for some advice on eliminating someone under "mysterious" means before he got that far.

A conventional war would be an epic fail. Fat Boy will not have the advantages of a Chinese Army and Russian Air-force helping him out...if anything, he would be a thorn removed from their side.

It's a messed up situation, China probably would be happy to see Korea unified and as a trading partner.....if it weren't for all the US troops stationed there. So, they would prefer North Korea remain as a buffer zone.

South Korea would like to unify....but the economic, social, and even psychiatric consequences would be huge. This isn't West vs. East Germany...this is a lot worse. So in one hand, yes they want to unify...on the other hand, not sure if they are ready to pay the piper for it.

And in North Korea...those in power, want to stay in power....while knowing that some day the status quo can't be maintained. They are just hoping that day happens after they are gone. So they keep rattling sabers to force the US to keep troops there....while they live in luxury.

You might say, "Why doesn't China, US and South Korea agree to something to be rid of the problem?". Answer, trust. China does not trust the US. And South Korea, doesn't exactly trust China.

...and given the actions of the US and China, the fears are justified.

[Massacure]

25. Your comment about China worrying about US troops station in Korea is interesting

The question it would prompt me to ask -- if there were unified Korea, wouldn't the United States likely remove a significant fraction of its 30,000 personnel there?

[Xolodno]

28. If there was a united Korea.

How do you remove 30k troops with a nation to the north that wants to envelope you? You can conclude a treaty, but who stands down their military assets first?

And of course China would ask...Why wouldn't all US troops be removed? They would have to assume even "advisers" are to their detriment.

And if you are the USA, why move assets away from Korea when it might cause China problems in its influence in Asia?

The world will be at piece once we all look like Brazilians.

[msongs]

2. maybe HAL is running their space program nt

[Dem on]

10. Or Sarah Palin

After all, she can see Pyongyang from her porch!

[Hulk]

3. The good citizens of North Korea had to go without...

..food and sanitation services for the next three months so the "bad-haircut boy" could send a rocket up into space.

Such a pathetic loser. The king has no clothes...such a sad, tragic shame.

[Marty McGraw]

5. Every country

Needs a funky hair dude wanting to run the show

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. NOOOO! We don't need a funky-hair dude!

[jmowreader]

4. And we're supposed to be afraid of this asshole's missile capability?

[Art_from_Ark]

7. His family has lobbed missiles over Japan before

and he has nuclear weapons.

He might not be able to reach the US, but he can certainly reach Japan and South Korea.

[jmowreader]

8. He can't hit the broad side of a barn

If he fires a nuclear-tipped missile at either Japan or South Korea, two things will happen: he'll almost certainly miss, and we certainly won't. KJU might be crazy enough to fire a missile at someone, but his generals aren't.

[Art_from_Ark]

12. How do you know that?

Really, it's easy for you to say that, being thousands of miles away and safely out of range. But no one knows how accurate his missiles can be, because so far his crazy family has just tested a few missiles, with two or three of them going well over Japanese airspace. No one really knows the real capability of these missiles except maybe their developers, and it's obvious North Korea isn't developing them, or its nuclear capacity, on its own.

[jmowreader]

23. They're not actually "developing" anything

North Korea's ballistic missile program is based on the SS-1 Scud missile. Scuds were never designed to be a precision weapon; they are best used to strike fear into the hearts of your enemy.

Just because your foreign-policy-illiterate candidate thinks North Korea's underfed, wore-out-equipment-fielding army is a greater threat than Russia's reasonably-decent one doesn't make it so.

[Dem on]

16. Agree

[truthisfreedom]

6. I'm not terribly thrilled

that North Korea has now got a tumbling piece of space junk overhead. Who knows wtf that thing is.

[PADemD]

15. Who knows wtf that thing is.

Yes. Is that his next (5th) nuclear test?

[Little Tich]

11. I would've much preferred that the rocket exploded on the launch pad. n/t

[ProfessorGAC]

13. For All We Know. . .

. . .25 already have!

[Igel]

22. I was sort of hoping it would go wildly out of control.

And hit the presidential palace.

One should have dreams.

[GOLGO 13]

17. Such an inept goverment. It's only success is in getting attention.

Buffer country for China indeed.

[mmonk]

18. Bumper cars in space.

[onehandle]

19. We don't need China's pet putting astronauts and critical satellites at risk with their junk. nt

[Bradical79]

20. The satellite isn't the main concern

It's the rocket that's the issue.

[47of74]

21. Does it make me a bad person to have thought of this right away?

[warrprayer]

26. Someone hit

My parked new car Monday.
My luck, this damn thing will land on it next..

[Eugene]

27. North Korea satellite in stable orbit but not transmitting: U.S. sources

Source: Reuters

Business | Tue Feb 9, 2016 8:55pm EST

North Korea satellite in stable orbit but not transmitting: U.S. sources

WASHINGTON | BY ANDREA SHALAL AND DAVID BRUNNSTROM

North Korea's recently launched satellite has achieved stable orbit but not yet transmitted data back to Earth, U.S. sources said of a launch that has so far failed to convince experts that Pyongyang has significantly advanced its rocket technology.

Sunday's launch of what North Korea said was an earth observation satellite angered the country's neighbors and the United States, which called it a ballistic missile test. It followed Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January.

"It's in a stable orbit now. They got the tumbling under control," a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

That is unlike the North's previous satellite, launched in 2012, which never stabilized, the official said. However, the new satellite is not believed to be transmitting, another source added.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-satellite-orbit-idUSKCN0VI1XN

[Purveyor]

29. Impressive they were able to get the tumbling under control.

Must be a bit more advanced than one speculates...

[Eugene]

30. N. Korea's controversial satellite is tumbling again

Source: CBS/AP

CBS/AP February 10, 2016, 12:01 PM

N. Korea's controversial satellite is tumbling again

WASHINGTON - For a moment there, it seemed like North Korea's boisterous claims about its space prowess were correct.

After the controversial rocket launch over the weekend, analysts initially said the satellite on board -- which many dismiss as a ruse for testing missiles capable of reaching the U.S. -- was "tumbling through orbit," defense officials told CBS News.

Then on Tuesday U.S. defense officials said it appeared to have stabilized in its orbit.

Now, however, Pentagon officials tell CBS News the latest satellite is once again out of control in its space trajectory and therefore is likely useless.

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Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-korea-controversial-satellite-starts-tumbling-again/