TEHRAN, Feb 10 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran started counting down, Sunday, to the launch, within hours, of a scientific observation satellite, that is part of a programme the US has previously described as a “provocation.”
Iran’s telecommunications minister, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, announced the impending launch by tweeting: “Beginning countdown to launch #Zafar_Satellite, in the next few hours….”
He did not specify when it would be fired into orbit.
On Feb 1, head of Iran’s space agency said, the 113-kg Zafar – “Victory” in Farsi – would be launched into orbit, 530 kilometres above Earth, by a Simorgh rocket.
Its “primary mission” would be to collect imagery, Morteza Berari said, adding that, Iran needed such data to study earthquakes, deal with a range of natural disasters and develop its agriculture.
Zafar was designed to remain operational for “more than 18 months,” he added.
While the Islamic republic’s satellite programme has sparked concern among some Western countries, Berari said, Iran supported the “peaceful use of outer space.”
Iran also unveiled on Sunday, a new short-range ballistic missile and its “new generation” of engines, designed to put satellites into space.
The Revolutionary Guards’ Sepahnews website said, the Raad-500 missile, was equipped with new Zoheir engines, made of composite materials that make them lighter than previous steel models.
It also unveiled Salman engines, made of the same materials but with a “movable nozzle” for the delivery of satellites into space, allowing “manoeuvrability beyond the atmosphere.”
The US said, the launch of the rocket was a violation of a 2015, UN Security Council resolution, endorsing international accord to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Resolution 2231 called on Iran to refrain from any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
Tehran confirmed in Sept that an explosion occurred at one of its satellite launch pads, due to a technical fault, and slammed Trump for “gleefully” tweeting about it.
Trump said, the US had nothing to do with what he called a “catastrophic accident” at Semnan Space Centre, in a tweet alongside a high-resolution picture, pointing to apparent damage at the site.
The Zafar’s scheduled launch comes days before the 41th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and crucial parliamentary elections in Iran.
It also comes at a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, after a Jan 3 US drone strike killed top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.
Iran retaliated days later by firing a wave of missiles at American troops stationed in Iraq.
Iran says its internet services have faced cyber attacks for the past two days, without elaborating on the source of the attack or the likely motives.
Iran fired its first satellite into orbit in Feb, 2009, and it went on to successfully launch satellites in Jun, 2011, Feb, 2012, and Feb, 2015.
It has also sent monkeys, a turtle, mouse and worms into space.– NNN-IRNA
