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| NORAD (Wiki Info - Image: Wiki Commons) |
North American Aerospace Defense Command officials said North Korea appeared to have successfully launched an object in orbit on a missile, marking a technological success for the hermit nation.
North Korea had confirmed hours earlier the launch of a long-range rocket on Wednesday and said it had succeeded in its mission of placing a satellite into orbit.
A previous launch of the same Unha-3 rocket in April had ended in failure, with the carrier exploding shortly after take-off.
"North American Aerospace Defense Command officials acknowledged today that US missile warning systems detected and tracked the launch of a North Korean missile at 7:49 pm EST" (0049 GMT Wednesday), the joint US-Canadian agency said in a statement. "The missile was tracked on a southerly azimuth."
NORAD said early indications suggested that the first stage of the rocket fell into the Yellow Sea, and estimated that the second stage fell into the Philippine Sea.
"Initial indications are that the missile deployed an object that appeared to achieve orbit," it added. "At no time was the missile or the resultant debris a threat to North America."
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