The stated reason for the launch was to "test" their long-range technology, which most experts believe to be simply a cover for the true reason behind the launch, that of seeing what could be done in the realm of launching a missile with a nuclear warhead. The launch vehicle is North Korea's Unha-3, which is capable of carrying such a payload.
The "observation satellite" launch has, apparently, failed, with a malfunction believed to be with the rocket's third stage. The latest reports from the Alphabet Networks indicate the rocket splashed down into the ocean near the Philippines. Senior US officials have also confirmed the rocket has failed and did not even reach the upper atmosphere and broke apart in mid-flight.
The launch was in clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that banned such activities by the country. The timing was to celebrate the centennial birth of the country's late founder, Kim III Sung. Perhaps this failure of the rocket will deter other nations from attempting to acquire North Korean technology with which to hold other countries hostage due to the threat of nuclear destruction. There is no question that some lessons to be learned will include telemetry data of this failed launch, which will assist North Korea at some point in developing and successfully launching their missile capabilities. Next up for Kim Jong Un and his nation? Hey, how about a nuclear test!
An official announcement was also released by the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command... they acknowledged that U.S. systems detected and tracked a launch of a North Korean TaepoDong-2 missile at 6:39 p.m. EDT. The missile was tracked on a southerly launch over the Yellow Sea, according to a statement issued from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. Initial indications are that the missile's first stage fell into the sea 102.5 miles west of Seoul, South Korea, the statement says. The other two stages were assessed to have failed and no debris fell on land, it says.
"At no time were the missile or resulting debris a threat," it says. "Despite the failure of its attempted missile launch," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement tonight, "North Korea's provocative action threatens regional security, violates international law and contravenes its own recent commitments."
The action is not surprising given North Korea's pattern of aggressive behavior, he added, but any missile activity by North Korea is of concern to the international community. A spokesman for the Korean Committee for Space Technology announced on March 16th that North Korea would launch a long-range Unha-3 rocket between April 12 and 16. He said the rocket would carry a North Korean-made Kwangmyongsong-3 polar-orbiting observation satellite to mark the 100th birthday of the late President Kim Il Sung on April 15.