[image: A handout picture released by Iran’s Defence Ministry on July 27,2017 shows a Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite rocket at its launch site at anundisclosed location in Iran. (AFP Photo/HO)]
Tehran – Iran launched a satellite criticised by the United States onTuesday but it failed to reach orbit, state television quoted thetelecommunications minister as saying.
“The Payam satellite was successfully launched this morning with the Basirsatellite carrier. But the satellite unfortunately failed to be placed inorbit in the final stage,” Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said.
Payam and its carrier had gone through successful testing of its first andsecond stages, the minister said.
But in the actual launch, the satellite failed to reach the required speedon detachment from the rocket in the third stage.
Both Payam and its carrier were designed and produced at Tehran’s AmirkabirUniversity of Technology.
Iran still plans to launch another low Earth orbit satellite, Doosti(Friendship in Persian), Jahromi said.
He did not give a date for the launch but said the satellite was planned toorbit the earth at an altitude of 250 kilometres (156 miles).
“We will do our best to place it in the orbit,” he added.
Payam and Doosti were both intended to gather information on environmentalchange in Iran, President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday.
“The satellite will give us all the information we need, and we will proveto the world that we are a country of science,” Rouhani said.
Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran’s plans tosend satellites into orbit would violate the UN Security Council resolutionthat endorsed a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran.
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Tehran reined in most of its nuclear programme under the deal, sinceabandoned by Washington last year, but has continued to develop itsballistic missile and rocket technology.
Security Council Resolution 2231 calls on Iran to refrain from testingmissiles capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, but does not specificallybar Tehran from missile or rocket launches.
Washington says the Iranian space launches violate the resolution.
Iran’s satellite-delivery rockets used technology “virtually identical” tonuclear-capable ballistic missiles, Pompeo said on January 3.
“The United States will not stand by and watch the Iranian regime’sdestructive policies place international stability and security at risk.”
Tehran denied the planned launch was a violation of Resolution 2231.
“The satellite is part of a civil project with purely scientific aims,foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told the semi-official ISNA newsagency.
“Iran will wait for no country’s permission to conduct such scientificprojects.”
Iran has launched several short-lived satellites into orbit over the pastdecade, including the Simorgh and the Pajouhesh, the official news agencyIRNA reported. -APP/AFP
