Iran Conducts Space Launch

[Blackmoon]

Iran this week conducted the first launch of a new rocket that the Pentagon views as a key element of Tehran’s effort to build long-range missiles.

The launch of the Simorgh space launch vehicle on Tuesday was judged by U.S. intelligence agencies to be partly successful but did not reach orbit, said defense officials familiar with reports of the test.
“It was either an unsuccessful launch, or a test of third stage” not meant to place a satellite in orbit, said a U.S. defense official familiar with reports of the test.
No other details of the test launch could be learned.
At the State Department, spokesman John Kirby said he could not confirm the missile launch.

“Obviously we’re watching this as best we can,” Kirby said. “Certainly if it’s true and we’re talking about a ballistic missile launch or the testing of ballistic missile technologies, that’s obviously of concern to us. It’s not consistent, as we said before, with the Security Council resolution…”
The large liquid-fueled rocket has been under close surveillance by U.S. satellites and other intelligence assets at a launch pad at Iran’s Semnan satellite launch center, located about 125 miles east of Tehran.

The Simorgh launch had been anticipated since March and comes amid growing worries about Iran’s development of long-range missiles.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) said he is concerned about the latest Iranian missile development.
“An Iranian Simorgh space launch vehicle test would be a provocation of the highest order and shows Iran’s true intentions,” Cotton told the Washington Free Beacon.

“The intelligence community has said publicly that this [space launch vehicle] technology would aid an Iranian [intercontinental ballistic missile] program. And the only reason one develops ICBMs is the delivery of nuclear weapons,” Cotton added.
The Simorgh is believed to be based on North Korean missile technology, used extensively in Iran’s medium-range Shahab-3 missiles. U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea supplied Iran with design data, stage separation technology, and booster equipment for the Simorgh and other rockets.

During negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal, U.S. intelligence agencies detected two shipments of large diameter rocket engines from North Korea to Iran.
The Simorgh also is assessed as having enough lift to carry a nuclear warhead, a throw-weight greater than the 220-pound payload capacity claimed by Iranian officials.
Senior U.S. military officials have voiced concerns about the Simorgh in recent congressional testimony and other public statements.
Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, told a House hearing last week that Iran is continuing development of long-range missiles.

“Iran’s continuing pursuit of long-range missile capabilities and ballistic missile and space launch programs, in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions, remains a serious concern,” Gortney said in prepared testimony.

“Iran has successfully orbited satellites using a first-generation space launch vehicle and announced plans to orbit a larger satellite using its ICBM-class booster as early as this year. In light of these advances, we assess Iran may be able to deploy an operational ICBM by 2020 if the regime choses to do so.”
Air Force Lt. Gen. Jay Raymond, deputy chief of staff for operations, told reporters last month the Iranian space launcher is a “dual-use” system with applications for missiles.
“The concerning part to me is that the rocket that they use, that launch satellite, could … [have] a dual-use purpose,” Raymond said March 24. “The ability to put a satellite into orbit is the same capability … as a harmful missile.”
Vice Adm. James Syring, director of the Missile Defense Agency, also said the Simorgh could be used as a long-range missile.
“Iran has successfully orbited satellites and announced plans to orbit a larger satellite using a space launch vehicle, the Simorgh, that could be capable of intercontinental ballistic missile ranges if configured as such,” Syring told the House Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces last week.

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-conducts-space-launch/

 

[SOHEIL]

He He He ...

An Iranian Simorgh space launch vehicle test would be a provocation of the highest order and shows Iran’s true intentions

Go **** yourself !

 

[Aramagedon]

Iran has launched satellite via domesticlly made rocket long before.

Plus most of the article is balderdash.

Btw thanks @Blackmoon for creating this thread.
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Omid (Persian: امید‎‎, meaning "Hope")[1] wasIran's first domestically made satellite[2][3] Omid is a data-processing satellite for research and telecommunications, Iran's state television reported that it was successfully launched on 2 February 2009.[3][4][5] After being launched by an Iranian-made carrier rocket, Safir 2, the satellite was placed into a low Earth orbit. The launch, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of theIranian Revolution and was supervised byPresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad, was also verified by NASA the following day as a success.[6][7] Its Satellite Catalog Number or USSPACECOM object number is 33506.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Space_Agency

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omid



Iranian launched satellites since 2005:


Omid satellite. Iran is the 9th country to put a domestically-built satellite into orbit using its own launcher and the sixth to send animals in space.

• On October 28, 2005, a Kosmos-3 booster rocket launched Sinah-1. The joint Iranian Russian Sinah-1 project cost 15 million U.S. dollars, and the launch made Iran the 43rd country to possess its own satellite.[31]
• Environment 1, a joint research satellite ofIran, China and Thailand was launched on a Chinese Long March 2C carrier rocket on September 6, 2008, aimed at boosting cooperation on natural disasters such asflooding, drought, typhoon, landslide andearthquake. The twin Earth observation satellites of eight planned were launched from Taiyuan SLC. The satellites will work as a constellation with six other satellites yet to be launched. Its observational footprint is 720 km. With a lifespan of more than three years, they have state-of-the-art imaging systems and infrared cameras and provide a global scan every two days. Iran had shouldered $6.5 million out of the $44 million of the total project cost.[32][33]
• Omid, Iran's second satellite, was placed in orbit in February 2009, and was described as a "data-processing" satellite for "research and telecommunications".[26][34]

• Rasad-1 is an imaging satellite that has been built and launched successfully by Iran. The satellite was sent into the 260 kilometres orbit by a Safir rocket launcher on June 15, 2011.[35][36][37] It beams back to earth pictures with 150-meter resolution.
• Navid-e Elm-o Sanat (also known as 'Ya Mahdi') which is an "experimental satellite" built by students for testing camera and telecommunications equipment was revealed to the public on February 3, 2010. It has store-dump capability and a resolution of 400 meters. On February 3, 2012 Iranian press reported that Iran has successfully launched its domestically-built Navid-e Elm-o Sanat satellite into orbit.[38]
• Fajr, is an imaging satellite which also carries an experimental locally made GPS system built by Iran Electronics Industries. The satellite will have a life span of 1.5 years and an imaging resolution of 500–1000 meters. It is the first Iranian satellite to use "Cold Gas Thruster" and has solar pannels. Originally, it was to be launched in 2012. As were alleged, non-announced by Iran two failed launches of Fajr satellites occurred on May, 23 and October in 2012.[39] Finally, Fajar was successfully launched and placed into orbit on February 2, 2015.[40][41]