TEHRAN – Iran started counting down Sunday to the launch of a newscientific observation satellite scheduled within hours, the country’stelecommunications minister said.
The United States has raised concerns in the past about Iran’s satelliteprogramme, describing the launch of a carrier rocket in January 2019 as a”provocation”.
“Beginning countdown to launch #Zafar_Satellite in the next few hours… Inthe Name of God,” Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi wrote on Twitter.
On February 1, the head of Iran’s space agency said the 113-kilogrammeZafar — Victory in Farsi — would be launched into orbit 530 kilometres(329 miles) above Earth by a Simorgh rocket.
Its “primary mission” would be collecting imagery, Morteza Berari told AFP,adding that Iran needed such data to study earthquakes, deal with naturaldisasters and develop its agriculture.
In January 2019, Tehran announced that its Payam — Message in Farsi –satellite had failed to reach orbit, after authorities said they launchedit to collect data on the environment in Iran.
The US said the launch of the carrier rocket was a violation of a 2015 UNSecurity Council resolution which endorsed an international accord oncurbing Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Resolution 2231 called on Iran to refrain from any activity related toballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
Iran maintains it has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, and saysits aerospace activities are peaceful and do not violate the securitycouncil resolution.
Tehran confirmed in September that an explosion occurred at one of itssatellite launch pads due to a technical fault, and slammed US PresidentDonald Trump for “gleefully” tweeting about it.
Replying to a tweet that asked what if Zafar fails like it predecessor,Jahromi said “we will try again”.
Iran’s internet services have faced cyber attacks for the past two days,according to the ministry. Officials have not elaborated on the source ofthe attack or its likely motives. -APP/AFP