North Korea long-range rocket launch fails after one minute

North Korea has launched a long-range rocket that disintegrated shortly after blast-off, South Korean authorities say. South Korea's Defence Ministry said the rocket was launched at 7.39am (8.39am AEST) today, but failed shortly after.

"A few minutes after the launch, the rocket disintegrated into several pieces and lost its altitude," Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told journalists. 

This will be North Korea's second consecutive failure to get a satellite into orbit, although it claimed success with a 2009 launch.

Read more: Brisbane Times

Posted in: Accidents, Military, North Korea, Rocket Launch, Satellite, Space