(VOVWORLD) - North Korea’s second attempt to place a spy satellite in orbit failed on Thursday after the rocket booster experienced a problem with its third stage, state media reported, as space authorities vowed to try again in October.
 Passengers watch a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a space rocket, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, August 24, 2023. (Photo: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji) |
Its first try in May also ended in failure when the new Chollima-1 rocket crashed into the sea.
The pre-dawn launch came in the first hours of an eight-day window that North Korea had announced for the attempt.
Pyongyang has been seeking to place what would be its first military spy satellite into orbit, saying it plans a fleet of satellites to monitor moves by US and South Korean troops.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the repeated missile launches were a threat to regional security.
South Korea and the US condemned the launch as violating multiple UN Security Council resolutions.