North Korea's Satellite successfully launched last week is out of Control, becomes space junk

The North Korean satellite launched into space last week appears to be tumbling in orbit and is most likely dead, astronomers are reporting.

The evident failure will not cause the spacecraft to fall quickly back to earth but seems to represent a major blow to the North’s portrayal of the launching as a complete triumph.

 “It’s spinning or tumbling, and we haven’t picked up any transmissions,” said Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer who tracks rocket launchings and space activity.

“Those two things are most consistent with the satellite being entirely inactive at this point.

” North Korea’s state-run news media said nothing about the satellite’s dysfunction, focusing instead on the event the launching was supposed to honor: the somber first anniversary of the death of Kim Jong-il, the longtime leader.