Iran said it had “successfully” launched a new research satellite built by its Defense Ministry on Saturday, marking a new step in the country’s development of aerospace activities despite Western sanctions.
“The Chamran-1 research satellite was successfully launched and put into orbit by the Ghaem-100 launch vehicle.” This is what Iranian state television reported on Saturday, September 14, regarding Tehran’s new aerospace milestone, reached despite Western sanctions.
Iran has been expanding its aerospace activities for years, saying they are peaceful and in line with a U.N. Security Council resolution. The country has carried out about a dozen satellite launches in the past two years.
But Western countries fear that these satellite launch systems integrate technologies interchangeable with those of ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. Tehran refutes these accusations and denies seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
The device launched on Saturday weighs “about 60 kg” and was “designed and built by the Iranian Electronics Industries”, affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, state television said.
“High Altitude Orbital Maneuvers”
The launch vehicle, the Ghaem-100 rocket, is being developed by the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic.
Chamran-1’s mission is to “test hardware and software systems used for high-altitude orbital maneuvers,” according to the same source.
With AFP
- FRANCE 24
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