News

North Korea announced on Thursday that its second attempt in three months to put a spy satellite into orbit had failed, and promised to try again in October. According to the official KCNA news agency, the launch took place on the morning of August 24th in Sohae, North Phyongan Province.

The first two phases of the rocket’s flight were reported to be normal, but the launch failed due to an error in the emergency ignition system during the third phase. KCNA stated that this was not a major problem and that corrective measures would be taken for the next launch in October.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the rocket was launched towards the south, crossing international airspace above the Yellow Sea. The South Korean government held a National Security Council meeting to condemn the launch, criticizing North Korea for wasting resources on provocations while its people suffer from famine and death.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed that nothing was successfully orbited during the launch, considering it a failure. He stated that such behavior goes against UN resolutions and has already been strongly protested.

This launch is a clear violation of several UN Security Council resolutions, escalating tensions and increasing the risk of destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond, according to Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

The launch coincides with the Ulchi Freedom Shield, a major US-South Korea joint military exercise in response to North Korea’s growing threats. This comes after a summit between the US, South Korea, and Japan where the North Korean nuclear issue was discussed.

On May 31st, North Korea attempted to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite, but the rocket crashed into the Yellow Sea minutes after takeoff.

The post North Korea’s Second Satellite Launch Fails appeared first on satProviders.