North Korean 'Spy' Satellite Crashes Into Sea After Rocket Failure, Says 2nd Launch Soon

North Korean media said that a 'spy' satellite launched by the country crashed into the sea due to the rocket's second stage malfunctioning.

North Korea's satellit launch attempt fails.

Source : Getty Images

A North Korean ‘spy’ satellite launched on Wednesday crashed into the sea after the rocket's second stage malfunctioned, stated North Korean state media. The new "Chollima-1" satellite launch rocket failed because of instability in the engine and fuel system, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. It added that it would do a thorough probe into the incident and the second launch will take place soon.

Notably, the flight was 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, Reuters reported. 

KCNA said, "The launched new satellite transport rocket 'Cheollima-1' crashed into the West Sea of Korea as it lost momentum due to abnormal start-up of the two-stage engine after one step separation while flying normally." 

The failure jolts North Korea’s ambitious plans as Pyongyang does not have a functioning satellite in space and Kim Jong Un has made developing a spy satellite a top priority. 

An official involved in the process said that the failure occurred due to the low reliability and stability of the new-type engine system applied to carrier rocket "Chollima-1" and the unstable character of the fuel used, saying that scientists, technicians and experts concerned started discovering concrete causes, stated KCNA. 

North Korea has said that it would thoroughly investigate the serious defects revealed in the satellite launch, take urgent scientific and technological measures to overcome them and conduct the second launch as soon as possible through various part tests. 

Meanwhile, South Korea's military said that it has located and is salvaging a suspected part of the North Korean satellite, reported AFP. 

"At around 08:05 today, our military identified an object presumed to be part of North Korea's claimed 'Space Launch Vehicle' in waters 200km (124 miles) west of Eocheong Island and is salvaging it," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, as quoted by AFP. 

North Korea had announced that it would launch its first military reconnaissance satellite between May 31 and June 11 to boost monitoring of US military activities, Reuters said.  

It is pertinent to note that, South Korea last week placed satellites in orbit with a domestically designed and produced rocket for the first time, and China sent three astronauts to its space station as part of crew rotation on Tuesday. 

 

US's 'Ballistic Missile' Warning To North Korea 

Before Wednesday's launch, the US State Department said that any North Korean launch that used ballistic missile technology would violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. 

"Space launch vehicles (SLVs) incorporate technologies that are identical to, and interchangeable with, those used in ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles," a State Department spokesperson said, as quoted by Reuters. 

So far, North Korea has attempted five other satellite launches, with two placed in orbit, including its last such launch in 2016.