IRGC’S Noor 3 satellite launch successful, Iran says
Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East, has suffered several failed satellite launches in recent years due to technical issues.
By REUTERS SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 10:26 Updated: SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 11:37
A first military satellite named Noor is launched into orbit by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, in Semnan, Iran April 22, 2020.(photo credit: WANA/SEPAH NEWS VIA REUTERS)
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards successfully launched a third military satellite into orbit on Wednesday, state media reported, citing Minister of Communications Issa Zarepour.
The Noor 3 imaging satellite orbits at an altitude of 450 kilometers (280 miles) above the earth’s surface and was launched by the three-stage Qased, or messenger carrier, state media said, which launched its predecessor Noor 2 in 2022.
The US military says the same long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also allow Tehran to launch longer-range weapons, possibly including nuclear warheads.
Tehran denies US assertions that such activity is a cover for ballistic missile development and says it has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons.
Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East, has suffered several failed satellite launches in recent years due to technical issues.
Iranian satellite carrier rocket ”Simorgh” is seen in an unknown location in Iran, in this picture obtained on December 30, 2021. (credit: MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF IRAN/WANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
The Biden administration issued fresh Iran-related sanctions on September 19, targeting multiple people and entities in Iran, Russia, China and Turkey in connection with Tehran’s drone and military aircraft development.
It had previously imposed sanctions on Iran’s civilian space agency and two research organizations in 2019, saying they were being used to advance Tehran’s ballistic missile program.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-760615.