North Korea said its latest attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite failed in flight on Monday during the rocket’s first stage, which featured a new “liquid oxygen and petroleum engine”.
An initial analysis suggested that the cause of the failure involved the newly developed liquid-fuel rocket motor, but other possible causes were being investigated, a report carried by state media KCNA said.
Although state media did not name the rocket or release photos, analysts said it was most likely different from the Chollima-1 rocket used in the successful satellite launch in November 2023. The Chollima-1, which also suffered several explosive test failures, uses hypergolic fuels, substances that can be stored at room temperature but ignite on contact each other, requiring careful handling.
