Iran ‘successfully’ launches new research satellite

Despite Western sanctions, Iran has taken a new step in developing its aerospace activities. The Islamic Republic launched a new research satellite on Saturday, September 14. “The Chamran-1 research satellite was successfully launched and put into orbit by the Ghaem-100 launch vehicle”state television announced. The aircraft“about 60 kg”, “designed and built by Iranian Electronics Industries”affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, has the mission of “testing hardware and software systems used for high-altitude orbital maneuvers”she said.

The launch vehicle, the Ghaem-100 rocket, is being developed by the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic.

Iran has carried out about a dozen satellite launches in the past two years, claiming that these aerospace activities are peaceful and in line with a UN Security Council resolution. But Western countries fear that these satellite launch systems incorporate technologies interchangeable with those of ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. These accusations are refuted by Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons.

At the end of February, Iran launched an imaging and remote sensing satellite called Pars-I from the Russian launch base of Vostochny. The United States then pointed out a “new indication of the strengthening of the military partnership between Iran and Russia.” In January, Iran announced the first simultaneous launch of three satellites into orbit, a week after the Soraya research satellite, carried by the same Ghaem-100 rocket.

The Islamic Republic has been under crippling US sanctions since Washington withdrew in 2018 from an international deal that was supposed to limit Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions.