US condemns North Korea's 'provocative' rocket launch

North Korea's attempt Friday to launch a long-range rocket has failed, according to U.S. officials. A senior U.S. official who is receiving updates from U.S. military launch observers tells Fox News the rocket broke apart between 90 seconds and 2 minutes after launching. Data suggests the rocket broke up in mid-flight inside the Earth's atmosphere. Officials tell Fox News the rocket did not fall into any populated areas, suggesting it fell into the ocean. The rocket likely broke apart between the first and second stages of a three phase process. A 2009 attempt by North Korea to launch a rocket also failed during its third stage. The White House released a statement condemning the launch, saying: "Despite the failure of its attempted missile launch, North Korea's provocative action threatens regional security, violates international law and contravenes its own recent commitments." CLICK TO READ MORE