(VOVWORLD) -A North Korean satellite launch on Wednesday ended in failure, sending the booster and payload plunging into the sea, North Korean state media said.
 People watch a TV news report on North Korea firing what it called a space satellite toward the south, in Seoul, South Korea, May 31, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji) |
The new “Chollima-1” satellite launch rocket failed because of instability in the engine and fuel system, state news agency KCNA reported.
The flight was the North Korea’s sixth satellite launch attempt, and the first since 2016. It was supposed to put North Korea’s first spy satellite in orbit. It prompted emergency alerts and brief evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan.
South Korea said on Wednesday the military was conducting a salvage operation to recover what is believed to be parts of the space launch vehicle. The military shared pictures of debris pulled from the water.
Officials from the US, Japan, South Korea held a phone call, where they “strongly condemned” the launch, Japan’s foreign ministry said.
North Korea had said it would launch its first military reconnaissance satellite between May 31 and June 11 to boost monitoring of US military activities.