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Sohae Satellite Launching Station

  • Location
    Dongchang-dong (동창동), Cheolsan-gun (철산군), Pyonganbuk-do (평안북도), North Korea
  • Type
    Missile-Base
  • Facility Status
    Operational

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About

Sohae Satellite Launching Station, also known as Tongchang-dong Missile and Space Launch Facility in the U.S., is North Korea’s newest ballistic missile and space booster range launch site. While construction began in 2001, it was first discussed in open source literature in 2008. 1 2 Satellite imagery of the completed facility was displayed by GlobalSecurity.org on 10 January 2011. 3

The site is located in the northwest part of North Korea, close to the border with China. The launch tower is estimated to be approximately 52 meters as of 2014, and the facility is designed to be a long-range ballistic missile and space booster test facility, also incorporating R&D and support facilities. 4 The height is unnecessary for any of North Korea’s Taepodong-2/ Unha (대포동2호/은하) series missiles or space launch vehicles, but it may indicate that North Korea is seeking to develop and launch vehicles on the order of modern-day Chinese ones, such as the Long March-3/-4. 5 Moreover, automated fueling facilities make the fueling process more rapid. 6 Yongbyon Nuclear Complex and Saneum-dong Weapons Research Lab are less than 50 miles away. 7 North Korea probably conducted a long-range rocket engine function test in May-June 2008, and Yonhap reported vehicle activity near the engine test stand again in March 2013. 8

Restraining Observation

Joseph Bermudez noted that the discovery of this test site “demonstrates that North Korea remains actively engaged in an ambitious ballistic missile program and is committed to launching satellites into space.” 9 It also appears to negate speculation by some that North Korea was either losing interest in missile development (as suggested by the lack of improvements at the smaller and older Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground near Musudan-ri), or outsourcing all research and development to Iran. Also, the new Sohae site has an advantage over the older Tonghae one, in that it can launch toward the south, reducing over-flight of Japan and South Korea during the boost phase. 10

Additionally, this location is obscured by surrounding hills from direct observation by air or sea. “Extreme tidal fluctuations and extensive mud flats” prevent ideal seaborne observation; while the site’s geographic position close to the Chinese border make airborne observation by U-2s or Cobra Ball recon aircraft problematic. 11

The facility was first used to launch an Unha-3 rocket in April 2012, however the rocket failed after reaching an altitude of only 94 miles, and the debris landed off the western coast of South Korea. 12 A second attempt was made in December 2012, this time successfully putting an object into orbit. 13

Additions Made

Recent satellite imagery has shown numerous work projects taking place at the Sohae facility. These additions include two 45,000 gallon storage drums near the entrance, and a series of new roads Northwest of the assembly building with possible test pads for mobile missiles. 14 The most important of these new additions can be seen at the launch pad and at the gantry tower. 15 Along with what seems to be maintenance to the concrete pad at large, North Korea increased the height of the gantry tower with the addition of two new floors making it roughly 52 meters tall. 16 The addition to the gantry tower and subsequent launch pad are interesting as North Korea does not currently field any rocket larger than the 30 meter long Unha-3. The new size of the tower could allow North Korea to launch a rocket almost twice the Unha’s height with a significantly larger diameter. The facility is now operational, and has been undergoing vast enhancement efforts, including its southeast seaport which began construction in March 2023. 17

Glossary

Ballistic missile
A delivery vehicle powered by a liquid or solid fueled rocket that primarily travels in a ballistic (free-fall) trajectory.  The flight of a ballistic missile includes three phases: 1) boost phase, where the rocket generates thrust to launch the missile into flight; 2) midcourse phase, where the missile coasts in an arc under the influence of gravity; and 3) terminal phase, in which the missile descends towards its target.  Ballistic missiles can be characterized by three key parameters - range, payload, and Circular Error Probable (CEP), or targeting precision.  Ballistic missiles are primarily intended for use against ground targets.
Space Launch Vehicle (SLV)
A rocket used to carry a payload, such as a satellite, from Earth into outer space. SLVs are of proliferation concern because their development requires a sophisticated understanding of the same technologies used in the development of long-range ballistic missiles. Some states (e.g., Iran), may have developed space launch vehicle programs in order to augment their ballistic missile capabilities.

Sources

  1. South Korea’s official Romanization of Sohae is Seohae, and Tongchang is Dongchang, however due to the frequent use of the terms Sohae and Tongchang in English-language news, NTI uses this spelling.
  2. Kim Gwi-geun, “北 동창리 미사일기지 완공..발사실험하나 North, Completed Dongchnag-ri Missile site… Trying Missile Launch Test?” Yonhap, 17 February 2011, www.yonhapnews.co.kr; Joseph Bermudez, “Ready for Launch? North Korea’s New Missile Facility,” Jane’s Defense Weekly, 16 September 2008.
  3. “Tongchang-dong Missile and Space Launch Facility: 10 January 2011 Imagery,” GlobalSecurity.org, 10 January 2010.
  4. Nick Hansen, “Significant Developments at North Korea’s Sohae Test Facility,” 38 North, 18 April 2014, www.38north.org.
  5. Chico Harlan, “North Korea has completed missile facility, satellite imagery shows,” Washington Post, 16 February 2011, www.washingtonpost.com; David Wright, “North Korea’s New Launch Site,” 38 North, 23 February 2011, http://38north.org; Charles Vick, “The Latest up-date in North Korean Ballistic Missile & Space Booster Developments,” GlobalSecurity.org, 26 January 2009.
  6. Suhun Ahn, “북, 미사일 동체 동창리 운반, 발사준비 North, Delivered Missile Body to Dongchang-ri, Ready to Launch,” Yonhap, 25 March 2012, www.yonhapnews.co.kr.
  7. Kim Gwi-geun, “北 동창리 미사일기지 완공..발사실험하나 North, Completed Dongchnag-ri Missile site…Trying Missile Launch Test?” Yonhap, 17 February 2011, www.yonhapnews.co.kr.
  8. Kim Gwi-geun, “北 동창리 미사일기지 완공…발사실험하나 North, Completed Dongchnag-ri Missile site…Trying Missile Launch Test?” Yonhap, 17 February 2011, www.yonhapnews.co.kr; Choe Sang-hun, “Global Powers Cast Wary Eye as Korean Tension Escalates,” The New York Times, 29 March 2013, www.nytimes.com.
  9. Joseph Bermudez, “Ready for Launch? North Korea’s New Missile Facility,” Jane’s Defense Weekly, 16 September 2008.
  10. David Wright, “North Korea’s New Launch Site,” 38 North, 23 February 2011, http://38north.org; David Wright, “North Korea’s Launch: Threading the Needle,” All Things Nuclear, 1 April 2012, http://allthingsnuclear.org.
  11. Joseph Bermudez, “Ready for Launch? North Korea’s New Missile Facility,” Jane’s Defense Weekly, 16 September 2008.
  12. Choe Sang-hun and David E. Sanger, “Rocket Failure May Test Leader of North Korea,” The New York Times, 14 April 2012, www.nytimes.org.
  13. Chico Harlan, “N. Korea Sends Rocket into Orbit,” The Washington Post, 12 December 2012, www.washingtonpost.com.
  14. Nick Hansen, “Significant Developments at North Korea’s Sohae Test Facility,” 38 North, 18 April 2014, www.38north.org.
  15. Nick Hansen, “News Alert: North Korea Nears Completion of Larger Rocket Launch Pad,” 38 North, 6 February 2014, www.38north.org.
  16. Nick Hansen, “News Alert: North Korea Nears Completion of Larger Rocket Launch Pad,” 38 North, 6 February 2014, www.38north.org.
  17. Peter Makowsky, Jack Liu and Olli Heinonen, “Sohae Satellite Launching Station: New Southeast Seaport Rapidly Taking Shape,” 38 North, 13 April 2023, www.38north.org.

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