SEOUL, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Officials and experts around the world are seeking to independently verify North Korea's claim this week that it successfully launched its first spy satellite, an effort that South Korea asserts likely included Russian aid.
With the late-night launch on Tuesday, North Korea appears to have overcome the technical problems that sent two previous attempts with its new Chollima-1 rocket plunging into the sea.
IS IT WORKING?
What remains unconfirmed, however, is whether its payload, the reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1, is operating in orbit, and whether the North received any outside help.
It may take some time to determine whether the satellite is in operational orbit, is sending signals, and what its capabilities are, analysts said.
"To assess the success of this launch, it is crucial not only to determine whether the projectile entered orbit but also to secure the ability to adjust and conduct reconnaissance from that orbit," said Hong Min, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. "This includes verifying the capability to take pictures with optical cameras and transmitting them appropriately to the satellite centre."
HOW COULD IT BE USED?
North Korea has not shown imagery of the satellite, but photos released by state media from a visit leader Kim Jong Un made this year to a production facility showed small, solar-powered satellites that are most likely similar to the one launched on Tuesday, said Vann Van Diepen, a former U.S. government weapons expert who works with the Stimson Center in Washington.
"It's likely that this is a relatively small, optical satellite that is going to have relatively low resolution," he told Reuters. "But even a relatively low-resolution satellite is better than not having a satellite, which is their current situation."
Such a satellite is unlikely to provide the North with detailed intelligence on specific weapons systems in South Korea, for example, but it would still be useful for identifying things such as large troop movements, Van Diepen added.
To launch a more-capable satellite, North Korea will most likely need to develop a larger rocket, which it appears to be doing, he said.
After the first failed test, South Korea recovered some of the Chollima-1 wreckage - including, for the first time, parts of a satellite, which it said had little military value.
RUSSIAN AID?
South Korea's spy agency has said North Korea may have overcome technical hurdles with the help of Russia, which in September publicly pledged to help Pyongyang build satellites.