Date:19/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/19/stories/2008081955671300.htm

International

Iran tests satellite launch rocket

Atul Aneja

DUBAI: Iran has tested a sophisticated satellite launch vehicle within days of Israel signing a deal with the U.S. on radars that can spot the launch of Iranian missiles in advance.

The Iranians launched the Safir-e Omid rocket on Sunday. The New York Times, quoting an expert on Iranian rocketry, said the vehicle comprised at least two fuel stages. The first stage consisted of a Shahab — a standard rocket in Iran’s arsenal, which was topped by a liquid-fuelled second stage. The rocket possibly had a small solid-fuelled third stage.

Footage aired on Irinn (Islamic Republic of Iran News Network) showed the Safir-e Omid rocket was launched at night. Iran’s Press TV said the firing of the new rocket would lead to the launch of the lightweight telecommunications satellite, Omid (meaning ‘hope’ in Persian), in the near future.

The Omid satellite would pass over the country six times a day. Iran had launched its first commercial satellite on a Russian rocket in 2005. It tested a rocket in February that it said was capable of delivering a satellite. Iran plans to launch four more satellites by 2010.

Iranian official media said Iran was an earthquake-prone country and therefore, needed satellites to monitor natural disasters and for strengthening its telecommunication links. Officials have also cited U.S. satellite capabilities to monitor developments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Analysts said its civilian applications notwithstanding, the space vehicle does give Iran the capability to launch multi-stage long-range missiles. Iran had recently launched during a military exercise, the Shahab-3 missile, which is capable of targeting Israel.

Sunday’s launch follows a U.S.-Israel deal over radars, which would give Israel the capability to triple its reach to monitor missile launches in all directions, including Iran. These radars would be deployed in the Negev Desert and manned by U.S. personnel.

Known as X-band radars, they would be linked to a U.S. satellite-based alert network. The show of technological power play between the two countries comes amid growing tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme.