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Iran Announces New Rockets, Satellites on Space Day

   Elizabeth Arrott | Cairo 03 February 2010
   Iranian  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (C) gestures towards a model of
   Iran's  new domestically-built light booster rocket, named Simorgh, in
   Tehran, 03 Feb 2010

Photo: AP

   Iranian  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (C) gestures towards a model of
   Iran's  new domestically-built light booster rocket, named Simorgh, in
   Tehran, 03 Feb 2010

   Iran  says it has test fired a new satellite rocket and has made other
   advances  in  civilian  space technology.  Wednesday's announcement is
   likely  to  further  raise concerns in the West about the potential to
   apply the technology to military use.
   Iranian  officials announced the launch of a satellite booster rocket,
   as  well as a rocket with a research capsule carrying a mouse, several
   turtles and worms.
   News  of the research rocket, called the Kavoshghar-3, and the booster
   rocket,  named  the  Simorgh,  as well as three new satellites came on
   National  Space  Day  and  as  the  nation  marks  the  lead-up to the
   anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, next week.
   Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday hailed the progress of
   the nation's scientists.
   Mr.   Ahmadinejad  also  made  reference  to  the  Omid-3,  the  first
   domestically-built satellite, unveiled on Space Day last year.
   Although  some  Western engineers express doubt about the capabilities
   of  the  Iranian  space  program, politicians and military strategists
   have expressed concern the advances could be aimed at improving Iran's
   ballistic  weapon  systems.    They  note  that  the  rockets could be
   redesigned to carry warheads, as well as satellites.
   The  space  developments  follow  a  new  twist  in a related point of
   contention with the West.  On Tuesday, Mr. Ahmadinejad said he had "no
   problem"  with sending uranium abroad for enrichment, as called for in
   a   United  Nations  effort.   It  was  the  latest  in  a  series  of
   contradictory Iranian responses to the plan.
   The  United  States,  which  along with the U.N. has sanctioned Tehran
   about   its  nuclear  activities,  responded  by  asking  the  Iranian
   government to make a formal announcement to the U.N. nuclear agency.

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