Pekdosan-1

Paeutudan-1 Taepodong-1

Mission Profile

The Pekdosan-1 (also known as Paektusan-1 and Taepodong-1) was a three-stage North Korean rocket used in a single launch attempt in August 1998, officially claimed by Pyongyang to have placed the Kwangmyongsong satellite into orbit but assessed by most international observers as a ballistic missile flight test. Standing approximately 30 m tall with a 2.4 m diameter and using Nodong missile-derived first stage engines, it demonstrated a flight range exceeding 1,500 km before its third stage failed to complete separation. The launch was diplomatically significant, demonstrating North Korea's determination to develop long-range ballistic missile technology under the framing of a civilian space program.