Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3
Also known as Gwangmyeongseong-3, Bright Star 3, Lode Star 3, KMS-3
thumb|right|Satellite launches of North Korea. ①: Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 ②: [[Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 ③: Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 ④: Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4]]
Key facts
- Spaceflight.name
- Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3
- Spaceflight.image
- North Korean Unha-3 rocket at launch pad.jpg
- Spaceflight.mission_type
- Earth observationWeather forecastingTechnology demonstration
- Spaceflight.operator
- KCST
- Spaceflight.mission_duration
- 2 years (planned)Failed to orbit
- Spaceflight.manufacturer
- Institute of Military Electronics
- Spaceflight.launch_mass
- ~
- Spaceflight.launch_date
- UTC
- Spaceflight.launch_rocket
- Unha-3
- Spaceflight.launch_site
- Sohae
- Spaceflight.orbit_epoch
- Planned
- Spaceflight.orbit_reference
Article
14 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Pre-launch announcement
- International response to the announcement
- States
- International organizations
- Media coverage
- Satellite
- Launch and failure
- Reaction to the launch
- North Korea
- Other states
- International organizations
- See also
- References
thumb|right|Satellite launches of North Korea. ①: Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 ②: [[Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 ③: Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 ④: Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4]]
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 () was a North Korean Earth observation satellite which, according to the DPRK, was for weather forecast purposes, and whose launch was widely portrayed in the West to be a veiled ballistic missile test. The satellite was launched on 13 April 2012 at 07:39 KST aboard the Unha-3 carrier rocket from Sohae Satellite Launching Station. The rocket exploded 90 seconds after launch near the end of the firing of the first stage of the rocket. The launch was planned to mark the centenary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, the founder of the republic. On 1 December 2012 North Korea announced that a replacement satellite would be launched between 10 and 22 December 2012. After a delay and extending the launch window to 29 December, the rocket was launched on 12 December 2012 (39026, 280km x 280km, 97 (2023).).