Iran launches its satellite carrier rocket ‘Zuljanah’ into space

Middle East, News June 27, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Iran carried out a second successful test for its domestically developed satellite carrier Zuljanah. The move comes at a time when nuclear talks between Iran and U.S. are expected to resume.

The state television aired the footage of the launch, which indicated that the launch process remained successful. According to the Iranian state media, it was the second test for the domestically produced satellite carrier.

It is being speculated that the launch was made at the Imam Khomeini Spaceport in the province of Semnan as some satellite images surfaced a few weeks ago showing that Iran was preparing for a launch. However, the exact location of the launch was not officially confirmed.

Spokesman of Iran’s Defense Ministry Ahmad Hosseini stated that Zuljanah, a 25.5 meter-long rocket, is capable of carrying a satellite of 220 kilograms (485 pounds). He also said that after the successful launch, Iran would now gather the data in low-earth orbit which would help to promote Iran’s space industry.

The launch has come only a day after European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell’s visit to Tehran. During his trip, Borrell pushed the Iranian side for nuclear negotiations in order to revive the Iran Nuclear Deal of 2015 that was unilaterally canceled by the United States under former President Donald Trump. Trump administration also slapped severe economic sanctions on Iran in 2018.

Since President Biden took charge of the White House, he has been trying to revive the negotiations with some success. A few sticking points still remain to be discussed, including Tehran’s demand that Washington lifts terrorism sanctions on its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

The current launch would affect the negotiation talks as the U.S. fears such long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also be used to launch nuclear warheads. Tehran, however, denies the U.S. accusation of using similar technologies to develop ballistic missiles.

*^{Test launch of the Zuljanah solid-fuel satellite rocket in February 2021. (Image Credit: Iranian News Agency IRNA)}*

As a reaction to Iran’s rocket launch, the White House said it was aware of the announcement and criticized the move as “unhelpful and destabilizing.” It said it was committed to using sanctions and other measures to prevent further advances in Iran’s ballistic missile program.

The first Zuljanah satellite carrier rocket was launched by Iran last year, on January 31. U.S. also voiced its concern over the successful launch of Iran’s domestically produced satellite launcher, which Tehran said was aimed at helping achieve its “most powerful rocket engine”.

Zuljanah is a three-stage satellite launcher that used a combination of solid and liquid fuels. It is the third civilian satellite launch vehicle made in Iran, after the Safir and Simorgh. According to Ahmad Hosseini, the Zuljanah satellite carrier rocket is part of Iran’s larger space project called “Hazrat Fatemeh Al-Zahra”