U.S. Strategic Command detects two objects in orbit after N.K. launch

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Strategic Command said Monday that two objects have been detected in Earth's orbit after North Korea's long-range rocket launch, a statement that appears to confirm the North's rocket put a satellite into orbit.

"Initial observations from U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space ... indicate two objects are in orbit and at an inclination of 97.5 degrees," the command said in a statement. "We have not classified the two objects yet, so all I can say about them is that they are objects."

The objects' North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) catalog identification numbers are 41332 and 41333, it said. Japan's Kyodo News reported that one of the objects is believed to be the North's Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite, while the other is part of the rocket's third stage.

North Korea says its rocket launches are aimed at putting satellites into orbit, claiming it has the right to peaceful use of space. But Pyongyang is banned from such launches under U.N. Security Council resolutions as it has been accused of using them as a cover for testing intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Experts say long-range rockets and ICBMs are basically the same with differences only in payloads.

The Security Council held an emergency meeting Sunday and strongly condemned the North's launch, saying any launch using ballistic missile technology, regardless of whether it's called a satellite launch or anything else, contributes to the North's nuclear weapons delivery system.

The council also vowed to "expeditiously" adopt a new resolution with "significant" measures.

jschang@yna.co.kr
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