[FPSPACE] Confusion: Did Iran launch a satellite into space?

[Chris Jones]

Peter Pesavento wrote:
> http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Iran_says_its_space_probe_sending_d_02172008.html
>  
>>From Agency France Presse:
>  
> It appears that they may have launched a satellite into orbit pick-a-back on
> their sounding rocket.but is it real?

The following is from www.presstv.ir (note TLD: ir = Iran).  Executive
summary:  no, it's not real.

Iran provides space launch info.
Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:30:51

Iran says the space probe it sent on the back of a rocket reached an
altitude of 200 kilometers and returned to earth after minutes.

"Kavoshgar had two sections. The first section separated after 100
seconds and returned to earth with a parachute. The second continued
to an altitude of 200 kilometers," said the head of Iran's Space
Organization, Ahmad Talebzadeh.

He added that the second section of the rocket received data on the
atmosphere and the electromagnetic waves on its path and simultaneously
made contact with the base and returned to earth with a parachute after
five to six minutes.

Iran says Kavoshgar has been designed to gather meteorological data
in a bid to contain frequent natural disasters in the country.

Earlier this month, Kavoshgar was launched as a preliminary step
toward putting Iran's first advanced scientific research satellite,
Omid, into orbit.