But some experts note that it is still likely capable of detecting troop movements and big targets, such as warships and warplanes. The satellite disclosed in the country’s state-run media didn’t appear to be sophisticated enough to produce high-resolution imagery. It is not clear if a North Korean spy satellite would significantly bolster its defenses. allies and partners, National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge said.

President Joe Biden and his national security team were assessing the situation in coordination with U.S. The United States strongly condemned North Korea for the launch, which used ballistic missile technology in violation of U.N.

Authorities later lifted the calls for evacuation.Ī top North Korean official had said Tuesday that the country needed a space-based reconnaissance system to counter escalating security threats from South Korea and the United States. “Please evacuate into buildings or underground,” the alert said. The Japanese government activated a missile warning system for its Okinawa prefecture in southwestern Japan, believed to be in the path of the rocket. But there were no reports of damages or major disruption and Seoul later lifted the alert. The South’s capital city of Seoul issued alerts over public speakers and cellphone text messages telling residents to prepare for evacuation. The North Korean launch had prompted brief evacuation orders in South Korea and Japan. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that no object was believed to have reached space. It also said it bolstered its military readiness in close coordination with the United States. South Korea’s military said the rocket had “an abnormal flight” before it fell in the waters. from the northwestern Tongchang-ri area, where North Korea’s main space launch center is located, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Wunderground satellite