South Korean satellite apparently fails to enter intended orbit

August 25th, 2009 SKorea rocket takes off, satellite launch failsSEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's first rocket launch failed to push a satellite into orbit but may still anger rival North Korea, coming just months after the communist nation's own launch drew international condemnation. Vice Science Minister Kim Jung-hyun told reporters Wednesday that one of two covers for the satellite apparently failed to come off, making it drop back toward Earth.

August 25th, 2009 SKorea launches 1st rocket, satellite misses orbitGOHEUNG, South Korea — South Korea launched its first rocket Tuesday, just months after rival North Korea's launch drew international anger, but space officials said the satellite it carried failed to enter its intended orbit. A Science Ministry statement called the launch a "partial success," as the satellite separated from the rocket normally before entering a different orbit.

August 25th, 2009 South Korea launches first rocket into spaceGOHEUNG, South Korea — South Korea's first rocket blasted off into space Tuesday following an aborted attempt last week and just months after its rival North Korea drew international ire for its own launch. A problem quickly surfaced, however, when space officials said that an initial investigation showed that the satellite the rocket was carrying apparently failed to enter its intended orbit.

August 19th, 2009 SEOUL - South Korea prepared to launch its first space rocket Wednesday with the aim of sending a scientific satellite into orbit. Following a series of delays, the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1, a Russian-made device, was scheduled to launch from the country's space centre on the south coast between 4.40 and 6.20 p.m.

August 19th, 2009 SEOUL - South Korea Wednesday cancelled the launch of its first space rocket at the last minute owing to technical problems. With only eight minutes to go in the countdown, mission controllers decided to suspend the launch of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1, which was to send a scientific satellite into orbit, the South Korean science ministry said.

June 28th, 2009 Sophisticated weather satellite rockets into orbitCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A sophisticated new weather satellite rocketed into orbit Saturday, giving forecasters another powerful tool for tracking hurricanes and tornadoes.

June 28th, 2009 Sophisticated new weather satellite rockets awayCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A sophisticated new weather satellite is on its way to orbit.

April 19th, 2009 SEOUL - The South Korean government Sunday said that it has decided to accept Pyongyang's offer for holding inter-Korean talks next week. It will be the first governmental talks between South Korea and North Korea since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office in February last year.

April 14th, 2009 SEOUL - The South Korean government has for first time officially admitted that the rocket fired by the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) last week followed the trajectory of a satellite. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency and China's official Xinhua news agency quoted South Korean Defence Minister Lee Sang-hee as saying: "The rocket launched by the North followed the trajectory of a satellite and later separated in its final two stages before crashing into the Pacific Ocean." He was speaking before a National Assembly committee that asked him to clarify if the launched rocket was a satellite or a missile.

April 10th, 2009 NEW YORK - The United Nations Security Council failed to agree on a resolution against North Korea's claimed satellite launch over the weekend, even as Japan demanded a swift and decisive response. Ambassadors of the US, Russia, China, France and Britain have been in negotiation sessions with Japan since Sunday, but the discussions have yielded no results.

April 6th, 2009 SEOUL - North Korea said on Monday that its leader Kim Jong-il was present at Sunday's controversial rocket launch and praised scientists after watching a satellite propelled into orbit. he official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Kim was briefed on preparations for the launch before observing the entire process from the command centre.

April 6th, 2009 SEOUL/WASHINGTON - Media reports in the US and South Korea said Sunday that North Korea had failed to place a satellite into orbit with its rocket launching earlier in the day. The news network CNN, citing the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), reported that the North Korean satellite failed to achieve orbit.

April 5th, 2009 TOKYO - North Korea launched a rocket Sunday, a South Korean foreign ministry official told Yonhap news agency. Pyongyang said it was putting a communications satellite into orbit, but Japan, South Korea and Washington believe the launch was a screen to test a long-range ballistic missile.

March 2nd, 2009 SEOUL - High-ranking officials of the North Korean army and the United Nations Command (UNC) in South Korea met Monday as tension on the Korean peninsula mounted. North Korea asked for the meeting, held at the heavily fortified border village Panmunjom, the US-led UNC said, making it the first meeting between the two sides in almost seven years.

February 27th, 2009 SEOUL - North Korea has begun to test radar and other equipment in preparation for launching what it claims to be a satellite, South Korean media reports said Friday. Increased activity was reported from the Musudan-ri missile launch site in the north-east of the communist state as North Korea moves closer to what South Korea claims is an attempt to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile.