Thread by @ArmsControlWonk

Here's a fun one. I came across a declassified report referencing North Korea's first known facility to produce liquid propellants, near Manpo-up. Analysts judged the plant produced hydrogen peroxide.

I downloaded a declassified KH-9 satellite image of the place toward the end of construction in 1974 -- although there is a cloud over part of the facility. Still, what a lovely image.

Hydrogen peroxide has its uses in rocketry, but it's not part of common propellant combinations today. North Korea eventually imported Scuds that use RP-1/RFNA, then moved on to using UDMH/NTO. So I wondered whether this site is, or ever was, relevant.
hydrogen-peroxide.us/history-US-Gen…

So, I just started perusing satellite imagery of the site, initially using @googleearth as one does. Wow, that's quite a picture! That certainly looks like a #BFRC to me.🤢

If you don't know what a BFRC is, here is a link to @madwonk's entry in the Wonkpedia. But, long story short: Yes, it looks like it still makes propellants. Just not all that safely. (Not that we were much better, back in the day.)
wonkpedia.org/mediawiki/inde…