New logo for North Korea's unfortunately-named space agency Nada looks a lot like Nasa's
Nada promises it isn't developing long-range space weapons
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Louise Thomas
Editor
North Korea's space agency has released a new logo to mark its first anniversary, a blue circular emblem with orbiting rings and a constellation of stars that looks like the sort of fictionalised version of Nasa you might find in a video game.
The Korean Central News Agency made no mention of its foe's space efforts in its report on the new logo of course, explaining that its stars show the desire to "glorify Kim Il-sung's and Kim Jong-il's Korea as a space power".
More embarrassing than the lack of originality and Jetsons-esque font of its logo however is the agency's name, which of course means 'nothing' in Spanish and is a fair representation of North Korea's achievements in space exploration thus far.
Just one satellite has been successfully launched to date (following four failed attempts) but is thought to have malfunctioned, beaming back approximately nada to Earth.
North Korea has insisted that its foray into space is a peaceful one, but various world powers including the US and Japan have expressed concerns that it could bring together ballistic missile technology with its nuclear programme to create some sort of nightmarish long-range space weapon.
"The DPRK has pushed ahead with space development projects to turn the country into a space power, fully exercising its right to peaceful development of the space on a legal basis," the Korean news agency said.
It added that Nada is calling for co-operation with other nations and rejects "double-standards in space activities and the weaponisation of outer space."
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