July 20, 2022, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
Four months after Kim Jong-un’s March 2022 inspection of the Sohae Satellite Launching Station and the public announcement of a modernization and development project, satellite imagery shows that the first stages of construction are now actively being pursued.
April 13, 2022, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Jennifer Jun—
While minor changes have taken place at Sohae Satellite Launching Station over the years, satellite imagery and other sources indicate that the roots of the recently announced modernization and expansion program likely date back to 2019. .. While minor changes have taken place at Sohae Satellite Launching Station over the years, satellite…
December 11, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
On December 7, North Korea conducted what it described as a “…very important test at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground.” Satellite imagery in the days leading up to and after the test clearly shows that this was a rocket engine test at the vertical engine test stand at Sohae. This test was most probably of a liquid-fuel rocket engine as only liquid-fuel rocket engines have previously been tested here, while large solid rocket motors have been tested at the Magunpo Solid Rocket Motor Test Facility on the east coast and elsewhere. Whether the liquid-fuel rocket engine was an existing model or a new one is unknown.
March 19, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
While recent activity at the Sohae Launch facility appears to have returned it to operational status after DPRK dismantlement measures earlier in the summer, there has been no activity of significance at the vertical engine test stand or launch pad since early March.
March 9, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
Commercial satellite imagery acquired on both March 6 and March 8, 2019, shows that North Korea has continued preparations on the launch pad and the vertical engine test stand at the Sohae Launch Facility. Based on past practices, these activities could be consistent with preparations for the delivery of a rocket to the launch pad or engine to the test stand; or, they could be North Korean coercive bargaining tactics after the failed Hanoi summit.
March 7, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
Commercial satellite imagery acquired March 6, 2019—four days after the previous image—shows that North Korea has essentially completed the rebuilding of both the rail-mounted transfer transfer/processing structure on the launch pad and the vertical engine at the Sohae Launch Facility.
March 5, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
Commercial satellite imagery acquired on March 2, 2019, shows that North Korea is pursuing a rapid rebuilding of Sohae (Tongchang-ri) Launch Facility at both the vertical engine test stand and the launch pad’s rail-mounted rocket transfer structure.
January 30, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
As of January 20, 2019, commercial satellite imagery of the Sohae Satellite Launch Facility (Tongchang-ri) shows that no new dismantling activity has occurred at the vertical test engine stand or the rail-mounted processing building since August 2018.
