North Korea has announced that it has successfully landed a man on the sun, claiming that it is the first country in the world to achieve this feat. The country said that the mission was a great victory for its space program and its leader Kim Jong-un.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the mission was launched on Sunday 1 April 2023 at 12:00 local time (03:00 UTC) from the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground at Musudan-ri in northeastern North Korea by an Unha-20 rocket carrying the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-6 satellite and a manned capsule.
The KCNA reported that the satellite successfully entered orbit and deployed the capsule, which then began its journey towards the sun. The capsule was equipped with a special heat shield, a solar sail, and a cooling system to protect the astronaut from the extreme temperatures and radiation of the sun.
The KCNA said that the capsule reached the sun’s surface after about eight hours of flight and landed safely on a dark spot. The astronaut, who was identified as Kim Il-sung, a descendant of the country’s founder and eternal president, then exited the capsule and planted a North Korean flag on the sun.
The KCNA said that Kim Il-sung communicated with Kim Jong-un via a radio link and expressed his loyalty and gratitude to him. He also sang patriotic songs and recited poems praising the greatness of North Korea and its leader.
The KCNA said that Kim Il-sung spent about 10 minutes on the sun before returning to the capsule and taking off. The capsule then re-entered orbit and docked with the satellite, which then began its return journey to Earth.
The KCNA said that the mission was a complete success and demonstrated North Korea’s superior scientific and technological capabilities and its strong will to explore space. The KCNA also said that the mission was a peaceful and humanitarian one, aimed at studying the sun’s energy and climate effects for the benefit of mankind.
The KCNA said that Kim Jong-un congratulated Kim Il-sung and all the scientists and engineers involved in the mission for their historic achievement. He also awarded them with medals and honors and declared 1 April as a national holiday.