New images released of Iran's preparations to launch a satellite into space
Coinciding with the eighth round of negotiations to revive the JCPOA in Vienna, the Associated Press reported that satellite images indicate that Iran is preparing to conduct a space launch from the Imam Khomeini base in Semnan province.
The report was published based on images taken from the Planet Labs satellite, and the satellite images show the presence of a hydraulic crane and a support truck next to a huge container at the launch site, which is usually where the rocket is placed.
Critics of the Islamic Republic view the satellite launch as provocative, as satellite-carrying missiles use technology similar to that required for intercontinental ballistic missiles. Accordingly, the release of this news during the ongoing negotiations to revive the JCPOA in Vienna, which are proceeding slowly and with a negative outlook, could add to existing sensitivities.
The state-run IRNA news agency reported on December 4 of this year that Iran has four satellites, "Zafar 2," "Nahid 2 and 1," and "Pars 1," in the final stages of completion and launch, but did not publish details about the timing of their launch and testing.
In recent years, Iran has had several unsuccessful attempts to launch satellites, including in July of this year, when it was reported that Iran had failed to launch a satellite-carrying rocket from the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Semnan.
At the same time, CNN reported that this was “the fourth consecutive failure of a Simorgh missile launch, and it appears that Iran has encountered a problem with this particular system.” Last winter, the launch of the Zafar 1 satellite also failed.
The United States and Israel, along with some Western countries, are concerned about Iran's development of a ballistic missile program to carry nuclear warheads as part of a peaceful satellite launch program.
In recent months, officials of Ebrahim Raisi's government have spoken of the need to develop space programs more quickly, including Issa Zarepour, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, who said on December 8th of this year that there are shortcuts to achieving major goals in the space field, and we must achieve them.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guard Corps is also pursuing its own parallel program in this regard and sent a satellite into orbit last year.
In early May of last year, the Revolutionary Guards announced that the "Qased" satellite-carrying missile had carried the "Noor" military satellite from the "central desert of Iran" to "425-kilometer Earth orbit."
The US government considers Iran's military satellite launch a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and says Iran's action is a cover for the country's missile tests.
The Iranian government, however, rejects this accusation, saying that these programs are defensive in nature.
Source: Radio Farda
