North Korea said its launch of a space rocket with a satellite on board had failed. The launch vehicle exploded in the air after 2 minutes of flight.
This was reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap with reference to the National Aerospace Technology Administration of the DPRK. The video of the explosion was shown by the Japanese broadcaster NHK.
The launch of the rocket took place on May 27 from the Sohe Cosmodrome. Pyongyang announced that the rocket should launch the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satellite into orbit. According to KCNA, the rocket exploded while the first stage was operating. The deputy head of the National Aerospace Technology Administration said the crash was caused by problems with the engine, which runs on liquid oxygen and oil. However, experts continue to investigate other possible causes.
The launch came shortly after a tripartite summit in Seoul between the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China, where peace on the Korean Peninsula was discussed. North Korea has ignored international warnings that such launches violate UN resolutions.
North Korea plans to launch three more satellites this year. Launches of space rockets are condemned by South Korea, the United States and other countries. South Korea warned of "strong" retaliation and held military exercises near the border with North Korea.
- North Korea intends to improve its intelligence, surveillance and intelligence-gathering capabilities, as it lags far behind its allies in these areas, despite actively developing other weapons systems.
- Yonhap wrote in May that Russia is helping the DPRK to develop intelligence satellites. Many Russian specialists arrived in the country.