TEHRAN:
Iran has successfully launched the imaging satellite Noor-3 into orbit 450kilometers (280 miles) above the Earth’s surface, officials said onWednesday.
Minister for Communication and Information Technology Issa Zarepour said ina social media post that the satellite has been successfully launched intoorbit.
He said the aerospace division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC) has carried out the launch of the satellite using a domesticallyproduced Qassed launch vehicle.
“I congratulate this success to the people, those who are working hard inthe country’s aerospace sector and experts at the IRGC Aerospace Force,”the minister said in a Persian post.
Qassed was also used by the IRGC to launch the previous version of thesatellite Noor-2 in March 2022, placing it into orbit 500 kilometers (311miles) from the Earth’s surface. Noor-1 was launched in 2020.
In November last year, the IRGC tested the satellite carrier Ghaem 100 intothe first suborbital stage. It came four months after Iran’s DefenceMinistry announced the second launch of its indigenously developedsatellite carrier named Zuljanah, which was hailed as a “breakthrough.”
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Iran’s satellite launches have been criticized by the US, claiming that thecountry’s long-range ballistic missile program can also be used to launchlong-range weapons.
The US and its European allies have often called on Tehran to stop sendingsatellites into space, claiming that it violates the UN Security Councilresolution.
Tehran has rejected such claims, saying satellite launches are intended tohelp in research and agricultural activities.
The US government imposed fresh sanctions on Iranian individuals andentities earlier this month in connection with the country’s drone andmilitary development.
Importantly, the country has had many failed satellite launches in recentyears due to technical issues. ANADOLU AGENCY
