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The radius of death from a North Korean missile impact

FTV news would like to inform viewers that they have obtained information on what will happen if a North Korean missile falls in Japanese territory, and have put their computer animators to work creating a SCARY VISUAL REPRESENTATION of the resulting damage:

The fireball from the impact would probably cause damage to anything within a 700-meter radius. The shockwave of the explosion and damage caused by stuff blown into the air could extend another 200-meters. There is also the possibility that toxic gas could be released within the area – potentially causing harm to the health of anyone within a 9-kilometer radius of the impact.

The chances of such an outcome are very slim, but hey, what good is the nightly news if it doesn’t leave you shivering in terror?

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28 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - April 3, 2009 at 7:42 am

Categories: General Japan Tags:

Rated-R

Where is TEAM AMERICA when you need them? I hope the weak whining of Japan and USA will not lead to NK getting the rice-balls to start launching more missiles. That’s when you know something will go ‘wrong’. Furthermore, how the heck can NK launch anything more than some cardboard boxes?
Asdf

Weapons effects 700 meters out? With conventional weaponry? In an open area? Ha! Good luck with that.
MrSatyre

I’m all about scary visual representations!
Matt

Yes, a 700 meters radius fireball is a little too much. The estimated payload is around 700 to 1000 kg for short range, according to Wikipedia, so some damages yes, but no fireball of that sort.
Kory

I don’t trust anybody who can’t take care of their teeth. This kind of fear mongering is all over the news over here, and so is this guy. It’s ridiculous.
samuel

lol. first of all rockets dont explode like that. they split in diferent chunks wich do crash roll over 100-300 meters and spout the fuel and tpxic chemicals around them. then it starts to burn and to explode. explosion is not a fireball its more like very fast firewall with 2000-4000°C.
Level3

700m really seems like an exaggeration, unless it’s a subtlety of language and they mean damage from RESULTING fires, (a la Tokyo or Dresden) which might spread beyond the initial true damage radius out to 700m. But then, in theory you could claim the resultant fires could burn down a whole ward or even city if it’s mostly wooden housing (maybe that’s the basis of 700m? it could be the maximum length of a stretch of easily combustible housing in an older section of a major Japanese city)

Or maybe it’s the theoretical maximum distance for a random small pice of shrapnel which might be hot enough, in theory, to start a fire if it landed on a haystack or something?

But most likely, it’s just a number this dude pulled out of his ass.

Still, I think NK is lead by crazies, but surely they aren’t crazy enough to start actually attacking Japan with missiles?

Are they?
LB

You know, I really, really wish people would read the article/watch the video being discussed so they know WHAT is being discussed before commenting. I realize this is an impossible dream, but still…

The “700 meter fireball” figure was not an estimate of the damage created by a warhead. The rocket in question doesn’t even have a warhead.

The figure was based on the 2nd and 3rd stages not igniting upon separation from the 1st stage, so that the whole upper part of the rocket, loaded with fuel, falls ballistically and impacts somewhere in Japan. Now, since in this scenario it is going to be falling from very high up, at great speed, and is going to be fairly heavy, it stands a very good chance of piling straight in and not breaking apart and tumbling. The fuel will spray when the tanks rupture on impact, but think of a water balloon-type pattern. Inertia will keep the fuel traveling in the direction it was going prior to impact until something stops it (like the ground) and causes it to spray out in a circular or semi-circular pattern. If ignited before completely sprayed out on the surrounding countryside it is going to turn into a ball blasting outwards in all directions equally unless blocked in some direction (such as “down”) by something (such as “the Earth”).
JohnPaul

Japan is just expecting the worse case scenario. Even so, It’s UNJUST and RUDE to test these kinds of obviously dangerous weaponry in your neighboring country. Where’s the United Nations and United States of America when you need them. Are they just a decoration of justice? Not only Japan but we Filipinos here in the Philippines are quite concern for this kinds of seemingly “Bullying” acts.
http://colininjapan.com Colin

I find it funny that all the related videos at the end were porn.

They’re just so related.
Level3

Is the 有毒ガス meant to include the nitric acid/dinitrogen tetroxide, kerosene, or hydrazine, or whatever rocket fuel the TD-2 second stage might have? Or is it solely implying a chemical warhead?

BTW, do the media ever explain that in general every country lauches satellites eastward (to take advantage of the rotation of the Earth for extra speed to get to orbit), and that NK, if it wants to get into orbit, doesn’t really have much choice, it’s either launch over Japan or nothing.

However, it probably does mean when they aren’t trying to get to orbit, they’re launching over Japan as rehearsal for the orbit launch, or just to be assholes.

LB

They are talking about the fuel, methylhydrazine:
http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/ME/methyl_hydrazine.html

Not nice stuff.
Georgie Pye

They do have another option: Find some tinpot dictatorship elsewhere that will let them test it there. The Europeans sometimes test their rockets in the Caribbean.

Debiru

What are doing american bases in front of North Korea, thousands miles away from the USA? They are obviously threatening them, it is legitimate for them to show this stance. Americans proved they only attack countries who can’t defend themselves, it is vital to them to show they can at least retaliate in case of agression.

Level3

LOL

helical

LO… oh damn, you beat me to it.

Level3

Debiru,

I know you are forced to say such things because you know the “Great Leader” will harm you and your family if you don’t.

I understand.

I hope someday soon, you will be free.

Debiru

Light the fireworks.

roger

hi Kim Jong-il, what we are complaining about is you launching a rocket across Japan.
The Americans are there to protect South Korea btw

Debiru

First of all i’m not a fan of Kim-san, however it is legitimate to defend oneself against violent barbarians like the americans. They are in SK to defend them? Did they ask them before if they needed help or did they decide it unilateraly?

http://www.hormel.com Vonskippy

Read much actual history Debiru?

NK was created by Stalin and Mao – and it’s whole puppet leadership was specifically chosen to be an idiot too stupid to put up any resistance (while deluding himself that he was gods gift to NK).

SK begged the US/UN for help when China put in 300,000 troops, and unfortunately the young SK asshats today have no clue how fast their country would be rolled over if the US/UN was ever to pull out.

samuel

NK was created by Stalin and Mao–

fail . NK was created by Stalin. pupet leadership? you can say it for all countries wich have got “great brother” or “aliance leader”. or should i remind you about american position in european and japanese politics. neither was SK goverment different. that until 90′ens. even now they are following american wishes against own will. or do you realy think SKoreans wanted to be in Irak and Afghanistan?

North Korea is still in a war with us. it defends itself more than half century. i think this earn some respect from yor side. and yes NKans are bunch of idiots. but you should be surprised how much idiocy is Japan and USA today. not to forget all japanese fashists and american molesters wich do live peacefuly swiming in money and power unti today.

North Korea can start this rocket. noone can stop them because NK warned the UN and other countries accord the protocol wich is usual when someone start own rockets for civil use. so is it true that if korean rocket will overfly Japan. japanese can shot it down. (until some high so much i know) question is will Japan do it and get poicon rain and chunks from this rocket or will it just watch and let it go.

http://www.victorymanual.com Alex

NK was created by Stalin.

Double-fail. NK was created by Korean socialist-idealists who sided with one of the two major political ideologies that was spreading through Europe and Asia as the curtain dropped on WWII.

Stalin objected to many of the North Korean policies as the contradicted international socialist goals at the time, and he actually kept NK open to an international discussion with capitalist powers, and attacking SK was Kim Il Sung’s idea and he had to actually persuade Stalin to back the decision.
Kitaro

what the Christ is a fashist?

The Overthinker

A well-dressed Nazi….

samuel

Double-fail. NK was created by Korean socialist-idealists who sided with one of the two major political ideologies that was spreading through Europe and Asia as the curtain dropped on WWII.—-

lol. bullshit my dear. NK was created by Stalin.

http://www.victorymanual.com Alex

Read up:
Ethnic Nationalism in Korea: Genealogy, Politics, And Legacy
In the Ruins of Empire

And I quote,

“Newly opened Soviet archives make clear that Stalin had no plans to annex Korea, but intended to keep it from falling into unfriendly hands and preventing any single power from gaining complete control. The division at the 38th parallel may have appeared to the Soviet leader as a workmanlike balancing of interests on the peninsula. In any case, while recognizing that the United States and China would probably play a role, the Soviets remained most concerned to ensure that Japanese influence and power were eradicated and that Japan would have minimal influence in postwar Korea.” (In the Ruins of Empire p.139)

It’s the very same goal that the U.S.-led capitalist movement had – Establishing a balance of power in Europe and Asia.

I’ve already briefly explained in another thread why I don’t think we can even consider North Korea to be a socialist country: http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9467

samuel

lol. dear alex. i dont know why are you switching to “who started the war” or why you are going to talk about “Stalin annexing Korea”. But the truth is still there. Stalin created NK. Mao was not in a korean game at that time. nothing less and nothing more from my side.

aside that neither did i comment what a state-system North Korea has.

The radius of death from a North Korean missile impact

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