North American Aerospace Defence Command and U.S. Northern Command officials acknowledged today that North Korea launched a Taepo Dong 2 missile at 10:30 p.m. EDT Saturday which passed over the Sea of Japan/East Sea and the nation of Japan.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea launched an experimental communications satellite aboard a Taepodong-2 rocket from a launchpad at Musudan-ri, North Korea, formally know as the Taepo-dong missile launch facility on Sunday. Analysts have suggested that the satellite failed to reach orbit. The rockets first stage fell in waters off of west coast of Japan, and the second plunged into the Pacific Ocean 3,200km East from the launch site. North Korea had announced last month the launch would take place sometime in early April.
Analysts said Sunday's launch of the rocket - which flew over Japan during its 3,200 km flight - was effectively a test of a ballistic missile designed to carry a warhead as far as the U.S. state of Alaska. Read more