North Korea has announced it has successfully launched a military spy satellite into Earth’s orbit.

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The launch on Tuesday was, according to South Korean officials, an attempt by North Korea to put its first reconnaissance satellite in orbit and the country had help from Russia, The New York Times reported.

Japan confirmed the launch from North Korea’s main space center in the northwest portion of the country, The Associated Press reported. It flew over international waters from the west coast then over Okinawa to the Pacific Ocean.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has long had the desire to update his weapons to deal with his perceived threat from the U.S., according to the AP.

It will be used, according to Reuters, to track the U.S. and its allies.

He has tried twice to launch a spy satellite this year but both failed because of technical issues.

North Korea’s claims that the third attempt to place the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit was successful, it has not been independently confirmed, the AP reported. The country plans to add more spy satellites to its surveillance system.

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