Musudan-ri

Infobox Korean name|context=north
hangul=무수단리
hanja=舞水端里
rr=Musudan-ri
mr=Musudan-ri

Musudan-ri is a rocket launching site in North Korea. It lies in southern North Hamgyong province, near the northern tip of the East Korea Bay. The area was formerly known as Taep'o-dong (대포동), from which the Taepodong rockets take their name.

Since 1984 military rockets of the types Hwasong, Rodong and Taepodong-1 were launched from Musudan-ri. In 1998, North Korean media reported the successful launch of the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 satellite by a Baekdusan-1 SLV from Musudan-ri. North Korea claimed their first satellite was successfully placed into orbit, but no independent sources have confirmed this.

A second failed satellite launch attempt occurred in 2006 with the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2.

The facilities at Musudan-ri are modest, consisting of a launch pad at coord|40|51.342|N|129|39.948|E|region:KP-HAB_type:landmark, an engine test stand at coord|40|51.138|N|129|40.788|E|region:KP-HAB_type:landmark, a missile assembly/checkout building at coord|40|51.348|N|129|39.552|E|region:KP-HAB_type:landmark, and a missile control building at coord|40|51.78|N|129|39.624|E|region:KP-HAB_type:landmark and a Ground Tracking Facility (coordinates obtained from Google Earth in June, 2006.).

ee also

*Tongch'ang-dong Space Launch Center
*Korean People's Army
*List of Korea-related topics
*Geography of North Korea

External links

*http://www.astronautix.com/sites/musudan.htm
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/nodong.htm GlobalSecurity.org Background on Musudan-ri]