Contact: Will Bower, 202-365-2536, will@allenmediastrategies.com

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- North Korea, despite international pleas to stop pursuing advanced weapons, went forward with a long-range rocket launch today.  Just ninety seconds after launch, however, the rocket exploded -- right as it should have entered its second launch phase -- instead crashing in the Yellow Sea.  While North Korean officials claim the rocket was launched to put a weather satellite into orbit, many fear the efforts were aimed at testing North Korea's long-range missile capabilities.
 
So why did North Korea's rocket launch fail?  And what might this development mean for the nation's military and space aspirations?
 
Homer Hickam, former NASA engineer, rocket scientist, and best-selling author of "Rocket Boys"/"October Sky" has answers.  He's making himself available to discuss the events in North Korea, and what likely caused their rocket to fail.  He also has a new book published this week -- "CRATER" -- a Young Adult novel set on the Moon 120 years in the future.  ("Unsparing as 'The Hunger Games' and as hopeful as 'Star Trek', a new standard in dystopian fiction.")
 
Ask Homer:
 
-- What probably caused North Korea's rocket launch to fail.
-- What the the North Koreans will probably do next in rocket development.
-- If he believes the rocket launch was to test the nation's missile capabilities
-- What he sees coming next in space development.
-- Why he believes governments won't ever build colonies in space but people will.
 
Homer is a great interviewee, and has most recently made appearances on all major news and broadcast networks, including NBC, CNN, NPR,MSNBC, CNBC, FOX News, AP, ABC News Radio, Voice of America, CBS Radio, Washington Times Radio, and numerous other outlets.  To book an interview with Homer, please contact Will Bower at will@allenmediastrategies.com or 202-365-2536.