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North Korea’s second attempt to place a spy satellite in orbit failed on Thursday after the rocket booster experienced a problem with its third stage, according to state media. This comes after the country’s first attempt in May also ended in failure when the rocket crashed into the sea.

The pre-dawn launch occurred within an eight-day window that North Korea had announced. The country has been trying to place its first military spy satellite into orbit as part of its plan to monitor movements of U.S. and South Korean troops.

According to South Korea’s military, the flight was tracked from its launch at the North’s Sohae Satellite Launching Ground and determined to be a failure. The military will attempt to locate and potentially salvage any wreckage.

The launch prompted an emergency warning in Japan, with residents of Okinawa being told to take cover. However, about 20 minutes later, the Japanese government announced that the missile had passed and lifted the emergency warning.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated that the repeated missile launches posed a threat to regional security. He strongly condemned North Korea and said that protests would be made against their actions.

South Korea’s National Security Council also condemned the launch as a provocation and violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. The White House and U.S. State Department both denounced the launch as violating U.N. resolutions and urged North Korea to refrain from further threatening activity.

North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) stated that it would investigate the cause of the failure and take necessary steps to fix the issue. They also expressed their intention to conduct a third reconnaissance satellite launch in October after thoroughly understanding the reason behind the failure.

Despite the setback, analysts believe that North Korea has made progress since the previous launch failure in May. The country has been working on improving its space and military rocket programs, considering them a sovereign right. Spy satellites are seen as crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of North Korea’s weapons.

North Korea’s November 2016 launch successfully placed a satellite into orbit, although there was debate over whether it sent any transmissions.

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