Posted: Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 8:27 AM ET (1227 GMT)
The Iranian government announced Thursday that it launched a small satellite, the second spacecraft put into orbit by the country. The Safir rocket lifted off Wednesday from an unspecified site within the country and placed the Rasad-1 satellite into a 260-kilometer orbit. The spacecraft, weighing 15.3 kilograms, is a remote sensing satellite, although its specific capabilities have not been released. Rasad is the second satellite launched by an Iranian rocket, after a Safir rocket launched the Omid satellite last year.

Related Links:

•  New York Times article
•  AP article
•  Reuters article
•  AFP article
•  IRNA article