• Published 00:00 25.02.07
  • Latest update 00:00 25.02.07

Iran announces successful launch of rocket into space

Launch believed part of commercial satellite project; Tehran aiming to boost Internet usage.

By The Associated Press

TEHRAN - Iran claimed Sunday that it had successfully tested a rocket into space. The announcement, made on state-run television, was unclear, but appeared to refer to Iran's efforts to launch commercial satellites into orbit.

Iran's Science and Technology and Defense ministries built the craft, the state-run television quoted Mohsen Bahrami, the head of Iran's Space Research Center, as saying.

Bahrami provided no other details beyond saying that Iran had successfully launched what he called a space rocket or missile.

Iran in the past has announced that it wanted to be able to send into orbit its own satellites, including commercial ones. But it has revealed little information about the project.

In 2005, Iran launched its first such satellite in a joint project with Russia.

Iran hopes to launch four more satellites by 2010, the government has said, to increase the number of land and mobile telephone lines to 80 million from 22 million.

It also hopes to expand its satellite capabilities to increase the number Internet users to 35 million from 5.5 million in the next five years.

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  • 8. 0 0
    rocket
    • John
    • 26.02.07
    • 06:58

    Mr. Khalil, Please do not get too arrogant about this little achievment(derivative of Western tech). Please remember, if it were not for the oil money and technology ofthe West, the majority of Iranians would still be living in mud houses like in Bam. The United States defeated Sadam's Army in 5 days (5000 miles away), while the Iranian Army could not defeat Iraq in 8 years. In a major Iranian Shia conference at the turn of the centruy, they declared the world was flat, pretty pathetic. As globalization continues at a breakneck pace, Iran will be nothing but a tourist getaway for the Indian and Chinese middle classes. Every Iranian family amount of food on the table depends if what the weather is cold (oil prices) in the United Sates. Cheers!

  • 7. 0 0
    to #4 birds flu
    • doctor salk & sabin
    • 25.02.07
    • 15:20

    one question to arabs. do you know who salk and sabin were? anyway, i think you know aids was introduced by men and not everyone has the cure for it, but aids is not ment to kill millions at once. I know you reach sixties technology in space (almost, near, just a bit more) BUT you can afford a birds flu, do you? Allah is GREAT! is really great is he?

  • 6. 0 0
    for #3 applause AND kissis
    • mojame al mani
    • 25.02.07
    • 15:11

    We all hope the Shehab-3 will be accurate enough and will not hit a palestinian city by "mistake" and it will not be loaded with chemicals or biological stuff. Anyway I wonder, how can you know from where the misil is comming, lets say from the east, ok, anyway remenber that..... Allah is Great!

  • 5. 0 0
    Khalil
    • Lynn
    • 25.02.07
    • 15:09

    You truly are an ass. If they nuke Israel, you die too.

  • 4. 0 0
    Adel in Bahrain
    • Lynn
    • 25.02.07
    • 14:25

    Yep, the whole world just loves Iran with a rocket capable of reaching major countries in the West.

  • 3. 0 0
    Applause for IRAN
    • Khalil
    • 25.02.07
    • 14:24

    By all means, break the Israeli's vicious nuclear monopoly in the Middle East. This should break them into a compromise with us, although I REALLY doubt it. Rather, they want a nice persian rain of Shehab-3.

  • 2. 0 0
    Good Luck Iran
    • Adel
    • 25.02.07
    • 14:00

    The nice thing is that the project is it is fully Iranian; I believe the progress made by Iran in communications field using satellite technology is for the good of the Iranian people and its neighbors because Iran would be more peace loving and wish its citizens to prosper without wars.

  • 1. 0 0
    Iran announces successful launch of ICBM?
    • Scientist
    • 25.02.07
    • 13:35

    Surprisingly little reaction to this news worldwide. However, one would take this news much more seriously when "the Iranian space rocket" is understood for what it really is -- an InterContinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)potentially capable of reaching Israel, Europe or even the US.