North Korean satellite 'tumbling out of control,' US officials say

Poor N. Korea, still about 50 years or more behind. They are just now trying to get a satellite up there? I am surprised it even got out of the Earth's atmosphere.

reply to post by Fisherr


That is great! You made my night with that hilarious picture!

That is just funny. North Korea is so deluded that I cannot even shake my head anymore, and must just laugh. Think of all of the people in that country who believe the crap that they are told from their evil leader and other politicians. These people have no reason not to believe what they are told, and they have no way to get outside information about ANYTHING. That is how bad it is over there.

And then the government goes and wastes so much money on their military, and then cannot even get it right. Their scientists apparently suck because I doubt they even have universities in the country, and I doubt they would allow people to "get away" from the country to go to school, because they would likely never return. So without foreign help, I cannot see how NK could ever do anything that required specialized knowledge of a high caliber.

Originally posted by TheLieWeLive
Does anyone on here know if this satellite was to have a nuclear reactor powering it and a warhead was used to destroy it, could it create a Electro Magnetic Pulse big enough to affect whatever country it was over or near?

edit on 12-12-2012 by TheLieWeLive because: (no reason given)

I think you are giving them more credit than you should! They FINALLY got something into a sloppy orbit, something we did over half a century ago, I wouldn't expect any STAR WARS technology from them anytime soon!

reply to post by goou111

the way my weeks going i bet it crashes on my house.

I was going to say, it better not crash into my house, but you can have it if you want it. Perfect end to a crappy week.

Originally posted by SaneThinking
I think as Phage said you are gonna see this thing go up and down in altitude for the next little bit and it may be some time, a long time before there is any risk of it coming down in the future.

Actually, that was Johannes Kepler with a little help from Isaac Newton.

For what it's worth, according to Australian media sources, reports more recent than the one saying it is tumbling out of control claim that South Korea is saying the satellite is orbiting normally.

nm

reply to post by cartesia


It can be in a normal orbit, but tumbling at the same time. All that means is that they have no control over it when it comes to stabilizing it, or maneuvering it, or getting any data from it.

It sounds like a dumb sattelite because the rocket was the real test.

US "intelligence" said that there would be no launch before Dec 22 and the rocket was being repaired... I'll take their assessments with a shaker of salt, thanks.

reply to post by goou111


my renters insurance covers that

Its my understanding that the NK claimed it was a 'weather satellite' that was launched, so tumbling would not be a good thing for getting any weather data back from it.

Personally, I think it was more about demonstrating the launch platform to the world than what was stuck on the pointy end. Could just be a lump of concrete for all we know.

reply to post by Drunkenparrot


LoL give credit where due LOL I digress and bye no means mean to discredit Kepler I stand corrected

Whatever it is they launched, it's Tumbling by a lot! Just watching the stats and:
at 3:16pm (CDT) 322 mi. altitude
3:22p - 314 mi. up
3:28p - 311 mi. up

That's a drop of about 12 miles in 12 minutes!
Then it seemed to level off and start rising.

3:35p - 316 mi. up
3:40p - 326 mi. up

That's an Increase of about 5 miles in 8 minutes!

The thing is on a Major Wobble up there! I'd say they have no control over it right now. Up & Down.....Up & Down...

Update: 4:20p now Up to 362 mi. But Dropping Again. Up & Down....

reply to post by Bullshark012


Thats due to its elliptical orbit rather than the fact its tumbling.

Watch it pick up some alien virus while its up there and, when it comes crashing back to earth, introduce that alien virus to the population and create a zombie alien apocalypse....on December 21, 2012....oh yeah...right before that near earth object that "isn't going to hit us" comes in and sterilizes the planet.

I can't wait.

reply to post by Thunda


Oh, ok, thanks. I was just watching the ISS orbit and it didn't seem to move at all..this one was all over the place. But if it's eliptical, it would seem that it wouldn't fluctuate like that - just be smooth increase & decrease in altitude, not up 12 mi. & down 10 mi. then up again in a matter of minutes. ???

Should be a good light show for the eastern seaboard if it lasts that long.

That is their super secret tumbling mode:

Rule #1 confuse your enemies!

It just looks like it's tumbling out of control. the satellite had advanced illusion capabilities, It's really making the earth tumble out of control, so that the satellite looks like it out of control!
N. Koreans up on the hi tech!.

Hope ya got it! Sneaky tech they have.