Originally Posted by
prukutung
wala gi-shoot down sa japan ang missile kai clearly wa man pud nisulod sa ila territory ang missile...
The rocket did in fact cross the northern tip of Honshu.
There are so many contradictory reports coming out of some US based press offices. First they claim the rocket has not enough range to reach CONUS, and YET they say the North Korean rocket may be able to launch a satellite into orbit--that clearly means that the rocket CAN reach CONUS, because any rocket that can achieve LEO can target ANY place on earth. It seems US government press offices are playing with the public's lack of understanding of orbital mechanics.
UPDATE: An erratum and an apology. After studying the data, I just realized I missed an important point entirely--if the payload was a satellite, say, the size of a Coke can, yes it can reach LEO. But, a nuclear warhead is MANY times heavier than a Coke can...and thus yes, all of the described scenarios such as this one...
Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com
...is totally correct. Heavier payload means the rocket's range will be limited, and yes, it can only reach Alaska, and not CONUS as of this point in time.
-RODION