Tongch'ang-dong Missile and Space Launch Facility
Pongdong-Ni / Tongchang-Ni
By Tim Brown
Senior Fellow
Globalsecurity.org
Vehicle Processing Building
There is a 2,200 square meter processing building located about one kilometer north of the launch site. It appears to be a light-clad building that has a processing hall measuring 15 x 55 meters, and probably contains clean and testing rooms. The processing hall is long enough to accommodate Taepo-dong 2 and Unha-2 vehicles. Sometime between 2006 and 2008, a 33 x 15 meter building was added bringing the total length to 95 meters. The facility is protected by a security wall. New imagery taken on 3 June 2009, shows vehicle tire wear on the concrete that indicates the facility is active.
The horizontal assembly/checkout building showing rubber tire wear from vehicles. This is where the missile stages will be assembled and tested.
Credit: Globalsecurity.org and DigitalGlobe.
High-Bay Processing Building
A smaller building is located on the opposite side of the main access road located almost one kilometer from the launch site that is about 740 square meters in size. It has three supporting halls and two multi-story high-bay processing rooms measuring about 8 x 20 meters and 15 x 10 meters respectively. The exact height is unknown but they appear to be at least 3 or 4 stories high. This high-bay building is also protected by a security wall.
The high-bay assembly building and two unidentified support buildings.
Credit: Globalsecurity.org and DigitalGlobe.
Launch Control Building
A launch control building is located about 760 meters from the launch site on a hill about 90 meters above sea level with a clear line of site of the launch site.
Perspective of the launch control building and the launch site as of 3 June 2009.
Credit:Globalsecurity.org, DigitalGlobe, and Google Earth.
The building is about 20 by 12 meters in size and is probably a two story concrete structure. The building is served by a loose graded road and has a small parking area. It is possible that optical tracking cameras are also located at the launch control building.
The launch control building as of 3 June 2009.
Credit:Globalsecurity.org DigitalGlobe and Google Earth
Headquarters Building
A headquarters and administration building near the main gate, has been under construction since August of 2008, and is almost complete. It is probably three stories high, measuring 35 x 16 meters and including a basement/bunker, has 2,300 square meters of office space.
Construction sequence of headquarters building. As of 3 June 2009, the building was still under construction.
Credit Globalsecurity.org and DigitalGlobe.
Support Buildings
There are numerous support buildings including a compound almost 2 kilometers northwest of the launch site, consisting of over 20 light-clad warehouse style buildings and “E” shaped headquarters and administration building. Between 2006 and 2008, 12 building were constructed adding about 3,500 square meters of floor space of the compound bringing the total to about 5,500 square meters (40,000 square feet). The two largest buildings measure 55 x 13 meters. All the buildings with the exception of the “E” shaped administration building appear to be single story light-clad buildings. The narrow spacing suggests that they do not house missile or launch vehicle stages, but might be warehouse, motor pool or workshops that support the launch center.
Construction sequence of the support complex at Tongch'ang-dong.
Credit: Globalsecurity.org and DigitalGlobe.
Near the launch pad there appear to be dozens of smaller buildings that were probably originally occupied by North Korean peasants that have since been displaced to house and support military and missile support personnel.
Main Gate
The Tongch’ang-dong Missile and Space Launch Facility has one road entrance guarded by a main gate approximately two kilometers north of the launch pad. The road is about 5 meters wide and appears to be concrete. Outside of the main gate, the road is narrower and appears to consist of graded loose gravel.
Main entrance to the Tongch'ang-dong complex.
Credit: Globalsecurity.org and DigitalGlobe.
Tracking and Telemetry
Tracking, and telemetry facilities have not been identified in the imagery, and it is possible that the North Koreans use mobile tracking vehicles. It is also possible that tracking and telemetry stations are located further down range.
Air defense or fixed surface-to-air-missile facilities have not been identified in the imagery to date.
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