Lunar ambitions: North Korea hopes to plant flag on the moon by 2020
As Pyongyang gears up to launch earth observation satellites and train more rocket scientists, analysts say the hermit state lack of the technology could delay its plans by almost 20 years
North Korean space officials are hard at work on a five-year plan to put more advanced satellites into orbit by 2020, and don’t intend to stop there: They’re also aiming for the moon, and beyond.
In an interview, a senior official at the North’s version of Nasa said international sanctions won’t stop Pyongyang from launching more satellites by 2020, and that he hopes to see the North Korean flag on the moon within the next 10 years.
“Even though the US and its allies try to block our space development, our aerospace scientists will conquer space and definitely plant the flag of the DPRK on the moon,” said Hyon Kwang-il, director of the scientific research department of North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration.
The North’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
An unmanned, no-frills North Korean moon mission in the not-too-distant future isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem. Outside experts say it’s ambitious, but conceivable. While the US is the only country to have conducted manned lunar missions, other nations have sent unmanned spacecraft there and have in that sense planted their flags.