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North Korea announced that its second attempt to launch a spy satellite has failed, but they plan to make a third attempt in October. South Korea’s military confirmed that North Korea had launched a long-range rocket. The North’s space agency used the carrier rocket Chollima-1 to put the reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1 into orbit. Although the first and second stages of the rocket operated normally, an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight caused the launch to fail.

The space agency will analyze the cause of the failure and make necessary adjustments for the next launch. They believe that the reliability of the cascade engines and the system is not a major issue. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that they detected the rocket flying above international waters after it was launched from North Korea’s main space launch center. South Korea’s military has strengthened its surveillance posture and is coordinating closely with the United States.

In May, North Korea’s first launch attempt of a spy satellite ended in failure when the rocket lost thrust between launch stages and crashed into the sea. The country quickly admitted the failure, which was seen as a setback to their efforts to enhance their military capabilities. Although South Korea’s military recovered debris from the failed launch, they determined that the satellite was not technologically advanced enough for military reconnaissance.

The launch on Thursday coincided with the beginning of U.S.-South Korean military drills, which North Korea sees as an invasion rehearsal. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency stated that these exercises are increasing the risk of a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea’s spy agency has observed signs of North Korea preparing for more test-flights of intercontinental ballistic missiles and other provocative weapons.

North Korea claims that its weapons testing is aimed at strengthening its nuclear deterrent against perceived threats from the United States. However, experts believe that North Korea is also seeking to modernize its weapons arsenal to gain greater leverage in negotiations with the U.S. Previous satellite launches by North Korea were seen as cover for long-range ballistic missile tests, leading to economic sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council.

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