North Korea says it tested new fuel in satellite launch

North Korea's latest satellite launch exploded into a fireball before crashing into the Yellow Sea just minutes after liftoff. Analysts say the attempt demonstrated new advances in the nuclear-armed country's race for space.

North Korea said its latest attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite failed mid-flight on Monday (27), during the first stage of the rocket, which featured a new “liquid oxygen and petroleum engine”.

An initial analysis suggested the cause of the failure involved the newly developed liquid-fuel rocket engine, but other possible causes were being investigated, according to a report carried by state media KCNA.

While state media did not name the rocket or release photos, analysts said it was likely different from the Chollima-1 rocket used in the satellite's successful launch in November 2023.

Chollima-1, which has also suffered several explosive test failures, uses hypergolic fuels, substances that can be stored at room temperature but ignite when they come into contact with each other, requiring careful handling.

U.S. officials and independent analysts have said the Chollima-1 appears to be based on systems developed for North Korea's nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, which typically do not use liquid oxygen due to the cold temperatures required for storage.

A petroleum-fuel and liquid-oxygen engine could suggest that Russia, which pledged last year to help North Korea's satellite program, may have provided assistance, said Lee Choon-geun, an honorary fellow at North Korea's Science and Technology Policy Institute. South Korea.

“Even if it failed, it’s a big leap,” he said, noting that some of South Korea’s space rockets were initially developed with Russia decades ago and use similar technology. “Russia is the strongest country in liquid oxygen-kerosene fuel, and our Naro and Nuri rockets have adopted it through technical cooperation with Russia.”