This post is from May 2019. Facts and links may have changed since. See more from that month

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Holy Smokes: North Korea’s Missile Launch in 3D

North Korea conducted a military drill beginning around 9am local time on May 4, featuring some newly-developed weapons systems. One of these systems was a never-before-seen-fired short-range ballistic missile (SRBM).

Our friends at Planet captured a couple images of one of the SRBM launches. When a pair of images taken in quick succession is arranged just right, we can view them stereoscopically. In English…we can see the plume (and therefore the trajectory) three-dimensionally.

Here is the image pair below. Download the image to see it in 3D with Google Cardboard!

 

Grace Liu

Writing on ACW 2018–2019

Grace is research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Her research explores applying new tools and technologies for arms control verification. Grace specializes in geospatial analysis, ballistic missile programs, and East Asia. She holds a MA in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, a MBA in International Management, and a BA in Military Science from the University of New Mexico. Grace has served as an analyst in the armed forces.

All posts by Grace Liu