Iran launches 3 satellites into orbit “simultaneously”
Iran announced (Sunday) that it has sent for the first time three satellites into orbit simultaneously, in a move that may increase Western fears of Tehran developing intercontinental ballistic missiles, under the cover of its space activities.
State television said, “Three Iranian satellites were successfully launched into orbit for the first time, using the Simorgh missile, which was manufactured by the Ministry of Defense.”
The missile launch comes amid escalating tensions in the wider Middle East. Due to the ongoing Israeli war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which raised fears of the outbreak of a regional conflict.
While Iran did not intervene militarily in the conflict, it faced increasing pressure within its theocracy; To take action after the deadly suicide bombing in Kerman city claimed by ISIS earlier this month, and as proxy groups such as the Houthi rebels in Yemen launch war-related attacks.
At the same time, Western countries remain concerned about Iran’s rapidly expanding nuclear program accumulating uranium enriched to 60 percent, close to the 90 percent required to develop nuclear weapons.
Footage published by Iranian state television showed the launch of the Simorgh missile in the early hours of today (Sunday). The Associated Press reported that analysis of the footage shows that it happened at the Khomeini satellite station, controlled by the Revolutionary Guard, in Semnan Province, east of Tehran.
Agence France-Presse quoted Iranian official media as saying that the “Mahda” satellite, which weighs about 32 kilograms and was developed by the Iranian Space Agency, “is designed to test subsystems of advanced satellites.”
The agency stated that the other two satellites, “Kayhan 2” and “Hatif,” each weighing less than 10 kilograms, “aim to test geolocation technology and narrow-band communications.”
The three satellites were sent into a close orbit, a minimum distance of 450 kilometers from Earth. “Simorgh” operates with liquid fuel in two stages, and the Iranians described it as “designed to place satellites in low Earth orbit.”
Last week, Iran launched the “Thuraya” satellite, developed by the Iranian Space Organization, using a “Qaim-100” missile from the Revolutionary Guard. Authorities described it as “the first three-stage solid-propellant satellite carrier.”
The Iranian IRNA news agency indicated that the satellite was placed in an orbit 750 kilometers away from the Earth’s surface, noting that this is the first time that Iran has succeeded in placing a satellite in an orbit higher than 500 kilometers.
Iran has been working for years to develop its aerospace activities, stressing that they are peaceful and take into account a resolution issued by the UN Security Council.
The US military says that long-range ballistic missile technology used to place satellites in orbit could also allow Tehran to launch weapons with a longer range, including those that could carry nuclear warheads.
The US intelligence community’s 2022 assessment stated that the development of satellite launch vehicles “shorts the timeline” for Iran to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile; Because they use similar technology. The assessment refers specifically to the Simorgh missile.
A photo distributed by the Iranian Ministry of Defense shows the Simorgh satellite carrier before its launch at the Semnan Space Station (EPA)
European condemnation
Britain, France and Germany expressed in a joint statement (Friday) their condemnation of Iran’s launch of the “Qaim-100” missile, noting that it uses “the basic technology for developing long-range ballistic missiles.”
The joint statement, published by the British government, stated that Iran “continues to develop its missile program despite repeated international calls to stop it, and after years of ignoring UN restrictions.”
The statement added: “Such a launch would allow Iran to test technology that could be used to further develop its ballistic missile program, which poses a major threat to regional and international security.” The three countries indicated that they have long had concerns “about Iran’s activity related to ballistic missile technologies capable of carrying nuclear weapons,” noting that these concerns “are increasing due to the ongoing Iranian nuclear escalation beyond all convincing justifications for civilian use.” The statement stressed that the governments of Britain, France and Germany remain committed to taking all necessary diplomatic steps to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and hold it accountable for its “destabilizing activities in the region and internationally.”
Yesterday (Saturday), Iran denounced the European trio’s condemnation, saying that “peaceful technological progress in the field of space is a legitimate right” for it.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a post on the “X” platform, “Such statements, which are considered interference, will not affect Iran’s determination to move forward in science and technology.” He added, “Iran considers the use of peaceful technology its right.”
Failed experiments
Over the past years, Iran, which has one of the largest missile programs in the Middle East, has not succeeded in several attempts to launch satellites. Due to technical problems.
There were 5 failed launches in a row of the Simorgh program. The footage showed that the missile bore the slogan “We Can” in Persian, likely a reference to previous failures.
The failure of the Simorgh (Phoenix) rocket was part of a series of setbacks in recent years for the Iranian space program, including deadly fires and a rocket explosion on the launch pad that caught the attention of former US President Donald Trump.
In March 2022, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that the Noor 2 satellite was placed in orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. The Iranian announcement came less than a week after the Associated Press published images taken by satellites affiliated with Maxar Technologies, showing the effects of a fire on a launch pad at the Khomeini space station.
The Revolutionary Guard launched the first military satellite called “Noor” in April 2020, and it was placed in orbit at an altitude of 425 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. After the launch, the head of the US Space Command downplayed the value of the satellite, describing it as a “ramshackle webcam in space” that would not provide vital intelligence information to Iran, but the Revolutionary Guard then announced its secret space program. In October, the United States took measures to indicate that Iran’s missile program would remain subject to restrictions after the end of UN Security Council sanctions, as well as to limit transfers of Iranian drones to Russia. Washington previously imposed sanctions on the Iranian Civil Space Organization and two research organizations in 2019, saying they were being used to develop Iran’s ballistic missile program.
2024-01-28 17:31:38
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