North Korea’s Space Launch Fails Due to Engine Malfunction: Latest in Series of Unsuccessful Launches

The North Korean space rocket launch on Monday failed due to an explosion in the first phase of the projectile, according to a statement from the National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA). The deputy director of NATA stated that the rocket carrying the satellite exploded during the combustion of the first phase.

A preliminary analysis revealed a problem with one of the engines in the first phase, which led to the failure. The launch took place around 10:44 p.m. local time on Monday, and South Korean radars detected it as a large group of fragments over North Korean waters, indicating mid-flight failure.

The Japanese alert system for the population was initially activated in Okinawa, detecting and calculating the trajectory of the projectile, but it was deactivated shortly after when the rocket disappeared from radars. This latest failure adds to North Korea’s previous unsuccessful rocket launches in 2023.

In November, North Korea successfully launched a rocket and put its first spy satellite into orbit. The regime had notified Japan’s coast guard of a launch window for a new spy satellite between Monday and June 3rd. North Korea plans to launch three more spy satellites in 2024.

The success of November’s launch is believed to be attributed to assistance from Russia following a summit between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin in September 2023. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo denounce North Korea’s space launches as violations of sanctions prohibiting ballistic missile technology.