N. Korea says communications satellite in orbit after successful launch

(ATTN: UPDATES with details; CHANGES headline)
SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea confirmed its rocket launch on Sunday,
saying that the "communications satellite Kwangmyongsong-2" has successfully
entered into orbit.
"Our scientists and technicians have succeeded in putting communications
satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 in orbit via carrier rocket Unha-2 in line with our
national space development project," the North's state-run Korean Central News
Agency (KCNA) said.
The three-stage rocket Unha-2 blasted off from a launch pad on the country's
northeast coast at 11:20 a.m. and put the satellite safely into orbit 2 seconds
past 11:29 a.m., the report claimed.
The Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite is now following an oval orbit, 490 km and 1,426
km at its closest and farthest points respectively from the earth, it said,
adding a full orbit of the globe takes 104 minutes and 12 seconds.
"The satellite is normally operating on its orbit," the KCNA report said.
"The carrier rocket and the satellite developed by our own wisdom and technology
are the fruit of our struggle to enhance our nation's space science technology to
a higher level," it said.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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