North Korea announced Wednesday through state media that the launch of a spacecraft to put a spy satellite into orbit has failed, South Korea’s Yonhap agency reports.
The launch of the spacecraft, identified by Japan as a “suspected ballistic missile” and by South Korea as a long-range missile, failed due to a third-stage failure, North Korea’s KCNA news agency said.
The Pyongyang space agency also announced another attempt to launch the satellite into orbit before the month of October.
North Korea explained that its spy satellite Malligyong-1 was launched aboard a new type of space rocket, dubbed Chollima-1, and that while the first and second stages occurred “normally”, the third stage had an “emergency error.” ” used to be. drive system”.
The North Korean Space Development Agency added that “the cause of the accident is not a major problem in terms of engine reliability” and that it will carry out the relaunch “after an extensive investigation into the causes,” according to information from KCNA, quoted by Yonhap.
On Tuesday, North Korea notified Japan of its intention to launch a satellite in the coming days, after an earlier test failed three months ago.
On May 31, a missile presented by Pyongyang as launching a military observation satellite crashed into the Yellow Sea shortly after liftoff, with North Korean authorities citing a technical problem.
Pyongyang explained that it intended to “face the dangerous military actions of the United States and its vassals”.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made developing a military spy satellite a priority. Washington and Seoul in turn suspect that Pyongyang is developing a new intercontinental ballistic missile incorporating technology similar to that of a satellite launcher.
The launch announcement coincides with large-scale maneuvers between the United States and South Korea that began Monday and lasted through August 31.
Source: DN
