[FPSPACE] Iran plans for space

[Peter Pesavento]

>From Agency France Presse

 

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080211114616.z25xjjg2
<http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080211114616.z25xjjg2&show_article=
1> &show_article=1

 

Iran plans to launch two more rockets into space

Feb 11 07:46 AM US/Eastern

Iran is to launch two more rockets into space in the next few months,
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Monday, after a firing of a
rocket earlier this month sparked international concern. 

"Two other rockets will be launched so that we can then send a satellite
into space," Ahmadinejad said at a rally in Tehran broadcast live on state
television. 

"We hope that Iran's first home-produced satellite will be launched in the
summer," he added, reiterating a prediction made by other Iranian officials
who said the satellite would be launched in May. 

On February 4, Iran fired a rocket into space to mark the opening of its
first space centre, triggering swift condemnation from the United States
amid continued tensions over the Iranian nuclear drive. 

Ahmadinejad hailed the launch of the rocket, named Kavoshgar-1, as a success
and for the first time gave some technical details about its launch. 

"The first rocket that was launched had three parts. It was a success," he
said in the speech marking the 29th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. 

He said the first section of the rocket detached after 90 seconds and
returned to earth with the help of a parachute while the second entered the
earth's atmosphere after 300 seconds. 

"The third section of the rocket, which contained the probe, was sent
towards orbit." 

"The probe is sending information on wind, temperature, pressure to allow
the sending of new probes into space," he added. 

Iran has been pursuing a space programme for several years, and in October
2005 a Russian-made Iranian satellite named Sina-1 was put into orbit by a
Russian rocket. 

But the satellite Iran plans to launch in summer -- already named Omid
(hope) -- would be its first domestically manufactured probe and the first
to be launched from Iranian territory. 

The United States, which has led international efforts to pressure Iran to
freeze controversial nuclear activities, has said Tehran's activities in
space risked further isolating the Islamic republic. 

"It's unfortunate that they continue to do that because it further isolates
the country from the rest of the world," said White House spokeswoman Dana
Perino at the time. 

The new Iranian space centre, located in the remote desert of the northern
Semnan province, includes an underground control centre and launch pad which
will be used to fire Omid into space.