A launch had seemed unlikely to take place so soon after North Korea announced Monday that it was extending the launch window into late December , citing technical issues in an engine . NORAD says the rocket appears to have put an object into orbit . The launch is `` a highly provocative act , '' the U.S. government says . It comes as North Korea has been ramping up its missile and nuclear weapons programs in defiance of international pressure over Pyongyang's development of atomic weapons. U.S. , South Korea say the rocket launch is a cover for testing ballistic missile technology .
NORAD says the rocket appears to have put an object into orbit . The launch is `` a highly provocative act , '' the U.S. government says . It comes as North Korea has been ramping up its missile and nuclear weapons programs in defiance of international pressure over Pyongyang's development of atomic weapons. U.S. , South Korea say the rocket launch is a cover for testing ballistic missile technology .