Taepodong-1 is a three-stage intermediate-range ballistic missile developed in North Korea and currently in service there. The missile was derived originally from the Scud rocket, and can allegedly serve as both a nuclear delivery system and a space launch vehicle.
On August 31, 1998, it was announced by the North Koreans that they had used this rocket to launch their first satellite Kwangmyŏngsŏng from a pad on the Musudan-ri peninsula. However, western sources never announced the detection of the satellite in orbit; it is thought that the third stage failed to fire and the satellite decayed very quickly while others believe the satellite never existed at all [link].
After the launch of Kwangmyŏngsŏng, the following launch data was released. For an orbital flight the first stage burns for 95 seconds and lands in the Sea of Japan at [40°51′N 139°40′E]. The second stage burns for 144 seconds and impacts the Pacific Ocean at [40°13′N 149°07′E]. The third stage burns for a further 27 seconds. According to the North Korean media the object was in orbit about 5 minutes after launch. Broadcast excerpted in
