Free Republic

N. Korea conducted another rocket engine test last week: report SEOUL, March 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea carried out another ballistic missile engine test last week, a foreign news report said Tuesday. The North's move, the second in less than a week, took place Friday, the U.S. cable news channel CNN said, quoting two unnamed U.S. defense officials. The North's state media announced on March 19 that it succeeded in a high-thrust rocket engine test.

Left: Mar. 18, 2017; Right: Sept. 20, 2016

North Korea's Kim Jong Un hails engine test as 'new birth' for rocket industry: KCNA Rocket engines are easily re-purposed for use in missiles. Outside observers say that the nuclear-armed Pyongyang's space programme is a fig leaf for weapons tests. "The development and completion of a new-type high-thrust engine would help consolidate the scientific and technological foundation to match the world-level satellite delivery capability in the field of outer space development," KCNA reported. "The leader (Kim) noted that the success made in the current test marked a great event of historic significance as it declared a new birth of the...

North Korea tested missile engines last October: source 2011-07-24 19:51 North Korea had tested the rocket engines for its intercontinental ballistics missile ahead of the deadly attack on Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, according to a high-ranking source on Sunday. “In October of last year North Korea tested the rockets for its intercontinental ballistics missile at its Dongchang-ri base,” said the high-ranking government official. “We believe they conducted the test as a direct show of force when the U.S. satellites could take aerial photos of the site.” What the government suspected as long distance rocket engines were tested before at the...

North Korea tests missile engine at new site: report 1 hour, 45 minutes ago North Korea has conducted an engine ignition test for a long-range missile at a new launch base under construction near its west coast, a South Korean intelligence source was quoted as saying on Tuesday. The report came after security concerns were raised last week by speculation the North's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il may have suffered a stroke and that the country was nearing completion of a new launch site capable of firing missiles that could hit all of South Korea and most of Japan. "North Korea's...

The International Space Station (ISS) failed to reach a higher orbit Wednesday during a test of two long-dormant engines mounted near a Russian-built docking port. Russian ISS flight controllers hoped to test two engines along the aft end of the station's Zvezda service module during a 14-second burn planned for 3:49 p.m. EDT (1949 GMT), NASA officials said. The engines have not been fired since Zvezda docked at the ISS in July 2000, they added. "We were all set for it but the engines never fired," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias told SPACE.com. The two dormant Zvezda engines are located at...