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Iran marks space day, plans building advanced satellites

Iran has stressed the peaceful nature of its space program, saying Tehran’s satellite launches have nothing to do with the country’s national missile defense program.

The remarks by Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi came as Iran celebrated its National Space Technology Day.

Addressing a ceremony in Tehran, Azari Jahromi dismissed the West attributing military aspects to Iran’s civil space program, including the country’s satellite launches.

The minister said two international organizations have monitored Iran’s space program and confirmed its peaceful nature.

Iran’s space industry is facing US sanctions but the Islamic Republic has managed to overcome them by relying on domestic capabilities and capacities, Azari Jahromi said.

The US, he said, is trying to disrupt the program, while the Europeans are refusing to cooperate with Iran in the field.

“Iran is seeking further cooperation with other countries within the framework of space diplomacy as the country pursues peaceful space technology,” he added.

Iran, Azari Jahromi said, is using space technology to improve the lives of its citizens and other people across the board. In this regard, the country regards sanctions not a threat, but and opportunity for development, he added.

As an example, the minister cited Mesbah which Iran built in collaboration with Italy’s Carlo Gavazzi Space SpA in 1998 but the satellite took more than 10 years to launch by Europe.

Iran launched its first homemade satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009. It also sent the first Iranian bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in February 2010, using a Kavoshgar (Explorer) carrier.

In February 2015, Iran placed Fajr (Dawn) into orbit, which was capable of taking and transmitting high-quality photos.

Last month, Iran launched Payam (Message) into space at an altitude of 500 kilometers (310 miles) for imaging and communications purposes.

According to officials, the satellite performed without fault but the rocket which was carrying it did not reach enough speed in the third stage, falling short of putting Payam into orbit.

PressTV-Video: Iran launches satellite into space

Video: Iran launches satellite into space

Iran sends a domestically-built satellite into space on a scientific mission, but the satellite is not placed in orbit due to technical glitches in the final stage.

Azari Jahromi said on Sunday Iran will launch in the coming weeks a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite named Doosti (Friendship) that with provide accuracy within 10 meters.

Within the next three years, Iran will also build a new generation of satellites with accuracy 40 times more than that of Payam, he added.

Following Payam’s launch, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the satellite launch was actually part of Tehran’s attempts to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo chimed in, claiming that Iran was using the spacecraft launch as a cover for testing technology to lob a warhead at the US and other countries.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani dismissed the claims. He said Iran faced no scientific restraints for increasing the range of its missiles, but the country’s efforts were focused on improving their accuracy.

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