North Korea’s first attempt to launch a spy satellite into space failed spectacularly on Tuesday, in what the Associated Press dubbed “an apparent embarrassment to leader Kim Jong Un.” The incident came amid Kim’s persistent push for the hermit kingdom to up its military and technological game in the face of heightened tensions between South Korea and the United States. A statement from state media obtained by AP described how the rocket carrying the satellite made it through its first and second stages but lost thrust and crashed off the Korean Peninsula’s western coast. Scientists were investigating the cause. South Korea’s military said the rocket had “an abnormal flight” before it crashed into the water. NSC Spokesperson Adam Hodge condemned the launch in a White House statement Tuesday night, adding “this claimed space launch involved technologies that are directly related to the DPRK intercontinental ballistic missile program. The door has not closed on diplomacy but Pyongyang must immediately cease its provocative actions and instead choose engagement.”