A 'one in a million' satellite image captured the exact moment of North Korea's latest missile launch

• A satellite image captured by Planet Labs, a research company in San Francisco, reveals striking evidence of North Korea's latest missile launch.
• North Korea launched several projectiles on Saturday in its first confirmed missile test since November 2017.
• The image, one of many taken by Planet Labs' satellites orbiting the Earth, appears to show the exact moment and location of the launch.
• Will Marshall, the cofounder and CEO of Planet Labs, posted the image online on Sunday, saying it was a "one in a million" shot.

A satellite image captured by Planet Labs, a research company in San Francisco, reveals striking evidence of North Korea's latest missile launch.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch of several rockets and missiles in an exercise on Saturday, state media reported, in the country's first confirmed missile test since November 2017. State media said the purpose of the launch was to inspect the readiness of the country's defense units and weapons.

The image, one of many taken by Planet Labs' satellites orbiting the Earth, appears to show the exact moment and location of the launch.

Will Marshall, the cofounder and CEO of Planet Labs, posted the image online on Sunday, saying it was a "one in a million" shot.

"North Korean missile trail from space! Damn improbable; but if we take >million images/day we'll get one in a million shots!" he tweeted.

Data on the image says it was taken on Saturday at 10:54 a.m. Korea Standard Time. It shows a trail of smoke emerging from the launch point and extending over the sea.

Space.com said the images were taken using one of Planet Labs' more than 100 Dove cubesats, tiny satellites "smaller than a loaf of bread" that can take images with a resolution of 10 to 16.5 feet.

Planet Labs says its Dove satellites"make up the world's largest constellation of Earth-imaging satellites" and take photos of the Earth daily, adding that it launches new ones into orbit every few months.

North Korea's latest launch featured several rocket launchers and an unidentified short-range ballistic missile, observers said.

Tensions between Kim and US President Donald Trump flared in 2017 over North Korea's provocative weapons testing. Trump sparred with the North Korean leader for months on Twitter, calling him "Little Rocket Man" and saying his "Nuclear Button" was "bigger & more powerful."

Read more:TRUMP TO NORTH KOREA: My 'nuclear button' is bigger than yours

In March 2018, Kim agreed to refrain from missile testing as a show of good faith before a historic first meeting with the president that June. The two met again in February this year, though it ended early as both sides were unable to reach an agreement; the US is seeking to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, while North Korea wants the lifting of sanctions in exchange.

Trump responded to North Korea's latest missile test with restraint on Saturday, emphasizing in a tweet that he remained hopeful that Kim will dismantle his nuclear arsenal.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday told ABC's "This Week" that the weapons North Korea tested on Saturday were "relatively short range" and did not cross international boundaries.

SEE ALSO: Kim Jong Un launched a barrage of rockets and missiles in an unexpected show of force

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