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North Korea's Unha-3 Rocket Launch Explained (Infographic)

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In April, North Korea is expected to attempt to orbit its first Earth satellite.
In April, North Korea is expected to attempt to orbit its first Earth satellite. (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Contributor)

North Korea launched a new long-range rocket on April 13, which it said carried the country's first Earth-orbiting satellite, but the rocket broke apart shortly after liftoff and crashed into the sea. The Unha-3 rocket launch was scheduled to mark the 100th birthday of North Korea's founder Kim il-Sung, who founded the communist state in 1948 and sparked criticism from the U.S. and other countries over the rocket's potential use as a military weapon. Learn some of the scant details available of North Korea's April 2012 rocket launch plan in the SPACE.com infographic above.

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