Iran launches satellite carrier rocket to send three research devices into space

News December 31, 2021 , by IRIA No Comments

The Iranian authorities announced on December 30 that Iran had successfully launched a rocket with a satellite carrier into space, carrying three devices.

Iranian television broadcasted footage of a white rocket, labeling “Simorgh Satellite Carrier” and the slogan “We Can”. The footage showed a rocket launched from Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport.

Iran’s Ministry of Defense spokesperson Ahmed Hosseini said the Simorgh, meaning Phoenix, satellite carrier rocket had launched the three research devices at an altitude of 470 km (290 miles).

However, on December 31, Ahmad Hosseini told Iran’s state TV that “For a payload to enter orbit, it needs to reach speeds above 7,600 [meters per second]. We reached 7,350,” suggesting that the objective of putting three payloads into orbit was not achieved, as the rocket was unable to reach the required speed.

A day earlier, Hosseini told state television, “The intended research objectives of this launch were achieved. This was done as a preliminary launch … God willing, we will have an operational launch soon.”

Iran’s Fars News Agency quoted Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Ahmad Hosseini saying that the successful launch of the rocket into space is an achievement of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s civilian space program.

“By developing our capacity to launch satellites, in the near future satellites with a wide range of applications… will be placed into orbit,” Hosseini added.

According to Hosseini, “The payloads launched today were subsystems of satellites that were tested in vacuum conditions and high altitude as well as high acceleration and speed and the data was gathered.”

“We will speed up work so that we can become one of the six countries that can launch satellites into the GEO (geostationary) orbit,” Hosseini added.

The rocket launch has raised serious concerns in the U.S. as experts believe that the technology that was used to launch satellites could promote the development of Iran’s ballistic missiles.

U.S. Department of State spokesperson said that there is a risk that Iran is pacing up its ballistic missile program and such platforms could be used to carry a nuclear warhead.

The U.S. also said that such satellite launches ignored the UN Security Council resolution calling on Iran to avoid any activities related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

“The United States remains concerned with Iran’s development of space launch vehicles, which pose a significant proliferation concern,” the U.S. Department of State spokesperson said.

The space launch vehicles “incorporate technologies that are virtually identical to, and interchangeable with, those used in ballistic missiles, including longer-range systems,” the spokesperson added.

As part of its parallel space program, Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps successfully launched satellites into orbit last year.

In 2009 Iran first launched its satellite Omid (Hope), followed by Rasad (Observation) satellite that was sent into orbit in 2011. In 2012, Iran successfully sent its third indigenous satellite, Navid (Promise), into space. In 2020, according to the Iranian military, the country successfully put its first military satellite into orbit after many failed launch attempts.