Update on North Korean launch

It appears that the North Korean launch may have been an attempt to place a satellite into orbit, but the effort has failed. The first and second stages of the vehicle apparently operated successfully, but the third stage did not, meaning the payload fell into the Pacific Ocean.

This is a similar outcome to a Taepodong-1 launch performed in 1998, which North Korea claims was a successful attempt to place a satellite into orbit. Western sources never confirmed this, and it is widely believed the launch failed. A Taepodong-2 launch was executed in 2006, and in this case the vehicle failed within a minute after first stage ignition.

The issue now is how the UN Security Council will react to the launch. The body meets today to discuss the matter.