Indeed. I'm actually impressed by the technical achievement - putting something into a (nearly) circular polar orbit is no mean feat.
As for the "it's an ICBM test!" crowd - bollocks. That's like saying the Boeing 747 was a test to see if manned flight is possible - total overengineering.
Also, for context, what exactly do folks think soyuz goes into space on? A magical peace rocket? No. It goes up on an R-7, which is an ICBM - the very first developed, in fact. That nasty ICBM technology has kept the ISS running.
The Mercury programme redstone rockets that put Americans in space - also ballistic missiles that had had warheads replaced with crew capsules.
Should America and Russia have been condemned by the world? By the standards being applied here, yes.
So, shake your fist all you like, but regardless of their politics this is a technical coup, and I congratulate them on a successful launch.
>As for the "it's an ICBM test!" crowd - bollocks. That's like saying the Boeing 747 was a test to see if manned flight is possible - total overengineering.
Not true. The North Koreans aren't at the point yet where they can miniaturize nuclear bombs, so if they're going to make a system that can deliver nuclear warheads, it's going to need to be something like this.
you are deeply wrong, friend. Our, and the soviet, rocket development was very clearly ICBM development - thats no secret. North Korea is quite obviously following the same path. Yes, it is a technical accomplishment - no they are not to be congratulated : do you live in a cave? They are universally condemned not because they can do engineering, but because they are an affront to civilization.
As for the "it's an ICBM test!" crowd - bollocks. That's like saying the Boeing 747 was a test to see if manned flight is possible - total overengineering.
Also, for context, what exactly do folks think soyuz goes into space on? A magical peace rocket? No. It goes up on an R-7, which is an ICBM - the very first developed, in fact. That nasty ICBM technology has kept the ISS running.
The Mercury programme redstone rockets that put Americans in space - also ballistic missiles that had had warheads replaced with crew capsules.
Should America and Russia have been condemned by the world? By the standards being applied here, yes.
So, shake your fist all you like, but regardless of their politics this is a technical coup, and I congratulate them on a successful launch.