UPDATE: Today, the Ploughshares-funded Institute for Science and International Security [2] reports that satellite imagery shows a North Korean rocket slated for launch next month can be clearly seen at the launch site [3]. ISIS suggests that since the missile is so easily seen in the new image [4] versus in imagery over the past several days since March 24, it is likely that North Korea was previously shrouding the missile. David Wright [5]of the Union of Concerned Scientists [6], another Ploughshares grantee, provides insights into the launch vehicle [7].
ISIS has obtained commercial satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe of the Musudan-ri missile site in North Korea, taken at approximately 11:00 AM (local time) on Thursday, March 26, 2009. According to news reports, North Korea has placed a Taepodong-2 missile on the launch pad.
Links
[1] https://ploughshares.org/file/457
[2] http://www.isis-online.org/
[3] http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/30/north.korea.rocket/index.html
[4] http://www.isisnucleariran.org/assets/pdf/MusudanRi_29March2009.pdf
[5] http://ploughshares.org/expert/143
[6] http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_weapons_and_global_security/
[7] http://ploughshares.org/news-analysis/news/examining-north-koreas-launch-vehicle
[8] http://www.isis-online.org/publications/dprk/musudan_ri_26March2009.pdf