North Korea’s sixth test of the BM25 Musudan road-mobile ballistic missile is considered a partial success by analysts as the weapon had reached an altitude of over 1,000km even though its range was just 450km.
To achieve that kind of height requires a full burnout of its engines and this time, the North Koreans seems to have been able to execute it successfully in a straight vertical ascent. This launch is not a true test of the weapon’s operational profile – flying at a lower apogee to increase its range.
It is also not a 100 percent success until the warhead can be proven to withstand the extreme temperatures of reentry at such high speed, something the North is encountering for the first time.