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North Korea announced on Thursday that its second attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit had failed, according to the state news agency KCNA. They claimed that it was “not a serious problem” and promised a successful launch in October. The first two phases of the rocket’s flight were normal, but the launch failed due to an error in the emergency ignition system during the third phase, as reported by KCNA in Seoul.

South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff, cited by Yonhap news agency, confirmed that Pyongyang had fired what the North claims to be a space launch vehicle, but no further details were provided. This operation occurred on the first day of the period set by North Korea for its second attempt to put a satellite into orbit.

The launch of this spacecraft was first reported by the Japanese government, which stated that North Korea had fired a presumed ballistic missile that flew over Japanese territory. On Tuesday, Pyongyang had informed Japan that the launch would take place between August 24 and 31, prompting Tokyo to mobilize ships and put its PAC-3 missile defense system on alert. Seoul has deemed such a launch “illegal” as it violates UN sanctions banning North Korea from conducting tests using ballistic technology, which is used for both space launches and missiles.

This launch comes a few days after US, South Korean, and Japanese leaders met in the United States, where the nuclear threats from North Korea were a major topic of discussion. In May, North Korea attempted to launch what it described as its first military reconnaissance satellite, but the rocket carrying it crashed into the sea a few minutes after liftoff.

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