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Region | Iran

Iran ready to put Muslim countries' satellites in orbit

Iran said on Monday it was ready to help fellow Muslim states launch satellites into orbit after it successfully put a dummy satellite into orbit - a move that may increase Western suspicions over its atomic ambitions.

Agencies
Published: 23:21 August 18, 2008

Safir Omid (Hope Envoy) rocket before its launch at a space station at an undisclosed location in Iran.
Image Credit: EPA

Tehran: Iran said on Monday it was ready to help fellow Muslim states launch satellites into orbit after it successfully put a dummy satellite into orbit - a move that may increase Western suspicions over its atomic ambitions.

Iran said on Sunday it had put the home-grown dummy satellite into orbit on a domestically made rocket for the first time.

The long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into space can also be used for launching weapons. Iran says has no intention to do so.

Head of Iran's Aerospace Organisation, Reza Taghipour, said Iran wanted to help Muslim countries to launch satellites.

"I am announcing now that Iran is ready to launch satellites of friendly Islamic countries into space," Taghipour told state television.

Defence Minister Mustafa Mohammad Najjar also vowed that Iran will soon put its own satellite into orbit.

State television said the Safir Omid (Hope Envoy) rocket is capable of putting a "light satellite into low earth orbit" between 250 and 500km above the earth.

Sunday's launch raised concern in Washington that the rocket technology could be diverted to military applications, with the White House calling the development "troubling."

"This action and dual use possibilities for their ballistic missile programme have been a subject of IAEA discussions and are inconsistent with their UN Security Council obligations," the White House said.