Official media of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday confirmed that the country successfully launched and orbited an earth observation satellite.
"The successful launch of the satellite is a proud fruition of the Workers' Party of Korea's policy of attaching importance to science and technology," said news agency KCNA.
The success serves "as an event of great turn in developing the country's science, technology and economy by fully exercising its independent right to use space for peaceful purposes," it added.
According to the KCNA, a Unha-3 rocket carrying the second version of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite blasted off from the Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County, North Phyongan Province, at 09:49:46 local time (0049 GMT).
The satellite, said the KCNA, entered its preset orbit 9 minutes and 27 seconds after the lift-off, and then started going round the polar orbit at 499.7 km perigee altitude and 584.18 km apogee altitude at the angle of inclination of 97.4 degrees, with a cycle of 95 minutes and 29 seconds.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of late President Kim Il Sung, and this month marks the first anniversary of the demise of late leader Kim Jong Il.
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