Iran launched a research satellite into orbit on Saturday using a rocket developed by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
The Chamran-1 satellite, weighing 60 kilograms, reached a 550-kilometer orbit in space. The main mission of the satellite is to test space hardware and software.
IRNA also mentioned that land stations have received signals from the satellite.The satellite’s carrier rocket, Qaem-100, was designed and made by the Guard’s aerospace division and uses solid fuel. Iran plans 13 more satellite launches.
This is the second launch this year, first under President Masoud Pezezhkian, following the death of his predecessor Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May. In January, Iran claimed to have successfully launched three satellites into space with a rocket.
Western nations view the program as part of Tehran’s efforts to enhance its ballistic missiles.
The US military has alleged that Iran could utilise its satellite launch technology for potential long-range weapons development, including the possibility of nuclear warheads. The military claims that the ballistic technology employed to send satellites into space could also be used to launch long-range weapons.
However, Iran refutes these allegations, stating that its satellite activities are not a front for developing ballistic missiles. The country also maintains that it has never sought to develop nuclear weapons.
The United States has previously stated that Iran’s satellite launches violate a UN Security Council resolution and has called on Tehran to refrain from any activities involving ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. However, UN sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program expired last October.
Under former President Hassan Rouhani, Iran slowed its space program to avoid tensions with the West. However, Raisi, who took office in 2021, accelerated the program before dying. Iran’s new president, reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, has not yet clarified his stance on the space initiative.
The US intelligence community has warned that Iran’s satellite launch vehicle development could shorten its timeline for creating intercontinental ballistic missiles, which can deliver nuclear weapons. While Iran denies pursuing nuclear arms and claims its space and nuclear programs are civilian, international agencies believe Iran had a military nuclear program until 2003.
Despite having one of the most extensive missile programs in the Middle East, Iran has experienced multiple unsuccessful satellite launches in recent years, which have been attributed to technical problems. The launch also coincides with heightened tensions in the Middle East due to Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, raising concerns about a potential regional conflict.