North Korea plans to launch a long-range rocket it claims is for an Earth observation satellite, but critics think it's mounting a test of its ballistic missile technology instead, that could bring it closer to building a missile to reach as far as the U.S..<br />North Korea on Tuesday informed international organizations of its plans to launch an Earth observation satellite on a rocket between Feb. 8 and 25.<br />If North Korea's past patterns are any clue, angry warnings by its neighbors and Washington probably won't dissuade a coming launch.<br />The launch declaration, which is meant to warn civilians, shipping and aircraft in the area about the rocket and falling debris, follows North Korea's disputed claim on Jan. 6 to have tested a hydrogen bomb, the country's fourth nuclear test.<br />A launch would be seen as a snub by North Korea of its only major ally, China, whose representative for Korean affairs landed in Pyongyang for talks on Tuesday.
