- Iran launches three satellites
- Concerns over missile development
- Regional tensions escalate
According to state media, Iran has launched three satellites using its carrier rocket, developed by the Armed Forces Logistics of the Ministry of Defence, for the first time. The West is concerned that this achievement will bolster Tehran’s ballistic missile program.
Sunday saw the satellites placed in a minimum orbit of 450 kilometers (280 miles). Two nanosatellites weighing less than 10 kg and one satellite measuring 32 kilograms (71 pounds) in mass were each launched using the Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite carrier rocket.
According to state media, the nanosatellites Kayhan-2 and Hatef-1 will be used to test narrowband communication and geopositioning technology.
Mahda, a larger satellite constructed by the Iranian Space Agency, will evaluate the Simorgh rocket’s capability to deliver multiple payloads to space precisely. In the past, the Simorgh rocket has experienced numerous failures.
Associated Press analysis of launch footage showed it occurred at the Imam Khomeini Space Centre in rural Semnan, Iran.
“The roar of the Simorgh [rocket] reverberated throughout the sky and infinity of space,” state television reporter Abbas Rasooli said in the video.
The launch has raised concerns of a regional conflict amid rising Middle East tensions over Israel’s Gaza Strip operation. In support of Palestinian interests, Iran-affiliated organizations in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon have launched assaults against American and Israeli targets. Over 26,000 Palestinians have perished as a result of Israeli bombardment spanning nearly four months.
Ballistic and Nuclear Initiatives
Iran launched its Sorayya satellite earlier this month using a rocket constructed by its Revolutionary Guards. Europe is convinced that Iran will use this rocket to develop long-range ballistic missiles.
Iran refuted this condemnation on Saturday, stating it is entitled to peaceful technological progress in the aerospace industry.
In the meantime, the development of satellite launch vehicles brings Iran one step closer to developing missiles. This is according to the 2023 global threat assessment by the United States intelligence community. The evaluation cited the Simorgh as a potential dual-use rocket.
Iran slowed its space program during the administration of former President Hassan Rouhani to defuse tensions with the West. However, since the inauguration of President Ebrahim Raisi, the program has advanced.
The United States has previously stated that Iran’s satellite launches violate a resolution of the United Nations Security Council. It demanded that Tehran cease all activities involving nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. Last October, United Nations sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program expired.
Iran has significantly increased its uranium enrichment to a level approaching that of weapons-grade since the United States withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018. However, despite this development, US intelligence agencies and other entities continue to believe that Tehran has not commenced an active pursuit of a nuclear weapon. Tehran asserts that the objectives of its nuclear program are civilian.
