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Satellite image shows N. rocket flying northeast while emitting flame
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- The North Korean rocket that apparently failed to put a satellite in orbit initially flew northeast after blasting off from its launch pad, emitting a long trail of fumes and generating a massive flame, a satellite image showed Tuesday.
North Korea on Sunday launched a three-stage rocket that it claimed successfully orbited a communication satellite after being launched from the Musudan-ri base on its east coast.
South Korea and the United States dispute the claim, suspecting the launch was a banned test of a long-range ballistic missile theoretically capable of hitting Alaska.
"The missile's exhaust plume can be seen, and the flame from the burning propellant registers in the imagery as a solid white mark," the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security said, citing a commercial satellite photo taken by DigitalGlobe.
The think-tank said the photo, dated April 5, "appears to have caught the Musudan-ri missile in flight," adding the terrain below is only a few kilometers away from the launch pad.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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