N Korean Missile Tests

[huronking]

I have been wondering if anyone else considered that while
the administration and media have listed the longer
range missile tests as failures, only the first stages
of the missiles really needed the testing- they already
had upper stages(short range missiles) that worked. The increased range of an ICBM comes from the heavy inititial ascent stage. Did these "failed" long range missiles really perform correctly with dummy upper stages and payloads for the sake of cost? Or even complete missiles that were terminated after the needed performace testing on the initial stage was completed?

I guess this could be considered a political question but I intended it to be an S&T aerospace question in spirit. If someone already asked this flame away. I can take it.

HK

[blobrana]

Hum,
Technically, the T2 test was only a failure if  they didn't learn from their mistakes.
This is assuming that they didn't actually blow it up themselves.

But of course, politically  it was  a success. China will put a lot of pressure on the US,  to resume diplomatic talks with the NK  government, (China doesn't want an arms race in their backyard, IMHO).

See this thread

[Hyperspeed]

I wish them every success in not only producing a missile capable of reaching Alaska but of reaching Los Angeles. Maybe then US arrogance will have to be replaced with UN diplomacy.

Mutual assured destruction is the only way a country can be kept from any more 'adventures' such as the despicable war in Iraq.

I hope too that Iran and other "axis of evil" countries develop an intercontinental capability.

Maybe then paranoia will be wiped away and the reality of peaceful co-existance will begin to dawn on the Untied States.