14 DAY TRIAL // Press reports indicate that the North Korean Unha-3 delivery system – which carried the Kwangmyongsong-3 Earth-monitoring satellite – failed to reach orbit earlier today. The vehicle and the spacecraft it carried are now believed to lie at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
Despite international pressures to abort the launch, the Pyongyang government decided to go ahead with its latest, long-range missile test. The rocket was launched at 7:39 am local time, on April 13, Space reports.
The South Korean Yonhap News Agency reports that Unha-3 took off from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, in northwestern North Korea. Representatives of the SK Defense Ministry said that the rocket blew up shortly after launch, and that debris fell in international waters.
“Despite the failure of its attempted missile launch, North Korea's provocative action threatens regional security, violates international law and contravenes its own recent commitments," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, reflecting the view of the international community.