Iran Successfully Sends First Satellite into Orbit

August 17, 2008

TEHRAN (FNA)-

Iran successfully orbited its first home-made satellite Sunday morning.

The satellite named Omid (Hope) has been designed and built by Iranian specialists and was orbited by an Iranian carrier rocket.

In February Tehran successfully launched the Explorer-1 research rocket, which is capable of carrying a satellite into orbit, and unveiled the country's first domestically built satellite, Omid.

The achievement has drawn much attention from around the world, specially from among Muslim nations, as Iran is under heavy sanctions by the West and the UN Security Council making it develop the technology and build every part and equipment needed in the field of aerospace.

The satellite was sent into orbit today on the occasion of the birthday anniversary of Shiites' 12th Imam (May God Hasten His Reappearance).

Joint Chief of Staff on Sunday congratulated Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and brave Iranian nation on successful launching of the rocket carrying the country's first satellite.

In a message issued on Sunday, the Joint Chief of Staff said the rocket carrying the country's first satellite, was successfully fired on the birth Anniversary of the last Imam of Shiites, Hazrat Mahdi (May God Hasten His Reappearance), thus illustrating the auspicious name of the Imam in the space.

The message said the launching marks the second instance of successful tentative firing of such rockets.

Ministry confirms Safir satellite-carrier rocket launch

Tehran, Aug 17, IRNA

Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics said Friday that in presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's `Safir' (Messenger) satellite-carrier rocket, carrying Iran's first `Omid' (Hope) Satellite, was successfully launched into the space tentatively on Sunday.

The Ministry statement, a copy of which was made available to IRNA on Sunday, said the launch thus paved the way for placing the first Iranian satellite in orbit.

It said the rocket had been built by Iranian experts and fired tentatively on the auspicious birthday anniversary of Hazrat Mahdi (May God Hasten His Reappearance).

Iran launches first home-made satellite into space

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-17 23:23:49

TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) --

Iran announced Sunday that it launched a satellite into space earlier in the day, the country's first domestically made.

The satellite, Omid (hope), was launched Sunday by using Safir (ambassador) satellite-carrier rocket, the armed forces said in a statement, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

The Omid Satellite which was successfully fired on the birth anniversary of the last Imam (prophet) of Shiites, Hazrat Mahdi (who is believed to reappear at the end of the world) illustrated the auspicious name of the Imam in the space, IRNA said.

According to Iran's English-language Press TV satellite channel, the domestically manufactured Omid Satellite will pass over the country six times a day.

The launch of Safir rocket aimed to test remote sensing, satellite telemetry, and geographic information system (GIS) technology as well as remote and ground station data processing, Press TV said.

Another news agency Fars quoted government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham as saying that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was at the launch of the communications satellite from Iran's space station.

In February, Iran said it has prepared for the satellite launch by sending a probe into space of a rocket on the mission.

Ahmadinejad announced in his press interview in Istanbul Friday that Iran would in near future launch its first domestic satellite to the space.

Iran, embroiled in a standoff with the West over its disputed nuclear ambitions, has pursued a space program for several years, according to media reports.

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