North Korea's attempt to launch a new military reconnaissance satellite failed on Monday when the recently developed rocket engine exploded mid-flight. This launch attempt followed a warning from Pyongyang that it intended to launch the satellite by June 4, which would have been its second spy satellite in orbit.
This launch is the latest in a series of failures for the nuclear-armed nation, which experienced two other fiery crashes last year. The country did successfully place its first spy satellite in orbit in November.
“The launch of the new satellite carrier rocket failed when it exploded mid-air during the flight of the first stage,” reported the deputy director general of North Korea's National Aerospace Technology Administration, as reported by state media. Preliminary analysis suggested that the cause was a newly developed liquid fuel rocket motor, although other potential causes are still being investigated.
Japan's J-Alert broadcasting system initially announced that North Korea had fired a missile, prompting a warning for residents in Okinawa prefecture to seek shelter. This warning was later lifted when it became clear that the missile was not expected to fly over Japanese territory.
South Korean and Japanese officials reported that the launch appeared to have failed. North Korea fired the projectile southward off its west coast around 10:44 pm (1344 GMT), according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, who noted that a large amount of rocket debris was detected in the sea just two minutes after the launch.
The rocket vanished over the Yellow Sea, stated Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, adding that it seemed nothing had entered space. Hayashi said these launches violate relevant Security Council resolutions and pose a serious threat to the safety of Japanese people.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK aired video showing an orange dot ascending into the night sky before bursting into flames near the China-North Korea border. A Japanese defense ministry official suggested that the color of the flames indicated burning liquid fuel, although details are still being analyzed, NHK reported.
The launch appeared to have originated from Dongchang-ri, North Korea's main space flight center located in the northwest of the country, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
