There are conflicting reports about whether the satellite
launched into space Wednesday from North Korea is safely
circling the planet. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency writes
that South Korea's defense ministry says the object is in orbit,
but adds that "it was not yet known whether it was functioning
properly." NBC News says it has been told by "U.S. officials"
that the satellite appears to be is "tumbling out of control."
The network adds that "the officials said that it is indeed some
kind of space vehicle, but they still haven't been able to
determine exactly what the satellite is supposed to do." An out-
of-control object could pose a danger to those of us on the
ground, of course. It could also cause problems for other
objects in space. In February 2009, two large communications
satellites collided over Siberia, "spewing out clouds of space
junk," as NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reported. As for the launch
itself, The Associated Press writes that "the U.N. Security
Council said in a brief statement after