spacetoday.net: Iran launches rocket, plans satellite launch

Iran launches rocket, plans satellite launch

Posted: Tue, Feb 5, 2008, 4:49 AM ET (0949 GMT)
Iran launched a suborbital rocket on Monday to inaugurate a new space center in the country, and announced it was moving ahead with plans to launch its own satellite. The Kavoshgar-1 (Researcher-1) rocket took place from a new space center southeast of Tehran. Iranian officials claims that the rocket reached space, although did not place any objects in orbit. The launch, designed to inaugurate the new center, is a prelude to Iranian plans to launch its own satellite, Omid, into orbit in the "near future", perhaps as early as May or June. The launch was criticized by the US, which is concerned about the military applications of the rocket as well as alleged Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons.