North Korea has announced that the launch of a space rocket was unsuccessful due to an explosion in the first phase of the projectile. According to the state news agency KCNA, the deputy director of the National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) stated that the rocket carrying the satellite exploded mid-flight during the combustion of the first phase.
A preliminary analysis of the accident indicates a problem with one of the engines in the first phase. The launch took place around 10:44 p.m. local time on Monday, and South Korean radars detected it exploding in mid-flight, with a large group of fragments falling into North Korean waters. The Japanese alert system for the population was activated in Okinawa but then deactivated when radar lost contact with the rocket.
This failure marks another setback for North Korea’s space program, which has experienced multiple failures this year. In April and May, two rocket launches failed to put satellites into orbit, despite previous successes in November 2023. Despite these setbacks, North Korea plans to continue its space program and is expected to launch three more spy satellites in 2024 with assistance from Russia after a summit between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin in 2023.
The international community condemns these launches as violations of sanctions prohibiting North Korea from using ballistic missile technology. Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo issued statements denouncing them as illegal and called on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program entirely.
Despite these challenges, North Korea remains committed to pursuing its space program and achieving greater technological advancements beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Its launches have sparked concern among neighboring countries about their potential military capabilities and have led to increased tensions between Pyongyang and other nations in East Asia.
