"Launching research satellites = ballistic missile capability." B
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1 <http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20080204105 830818C217936> &click_id=3&art_id=nw20080204105830818C217936 Iran launches first space centre February 04 2008 at 12:48PM Tehran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday inaugurated Iran's first space centre from where the Islamic republic intends to launch research satellites into space for the first time, state media reported. The space centre includes an underground control station and launch pad which will be used to fire an Iranian satellite named Omid (Hope) into space, the official news agency IRNA reported. "We witness today that Iran has taken its first step in space very firmly, precisely and with awareness. We need to have an active and effective presence in space," Ahmadinejad said in a speech. "Building and firing a satellite is a big and precious achievement." Iran has been pursuing a nascent space programme in the last few years and in October 2005 an Iranian Russian-made satellite was put into orbit by a Russian rocket. But Omid would be Iran's first home-built probe and the first to be launched in Iran. To mark the inauguration of the spac e centre, a "research rocket" aimed at probing the appropriate orbit for the satellite was fired into space, state media said. No pictures of the launch were shown, but state television showed images of a large rocket strongly resembling Iran's longer range missile Shahab-3 waiting to be fired on a mobile launcher. The television did not disclose where the space station was situated but the ISNA news agency said it was in a desert area in the northern Semnan province. The pictures only showed a flat area surrounded by flags. "The Omid satellite is the Islamic republic's first locally-made satellite which will be set at a low orbit," IRNA said adding that it would be launched in the next Iranian calendar year which begins on March 20. The Russian-launched satellite Sina-1 was Iran's first -- and so far only -- probe to be launched into space, and was described by the Iranian press at the time as being for research and telecommunications. Iran has said it plans to construct and launch several more satellites over the next three years. The opening of the space centre comes amid mounting tensions with the United States over Tehran's nuclear programme, which the West fears could be used for weapons development. OPEC's number two producer denies the charges, saying its atomic drive is solely aimed at supply energy for a growing population. - AFP [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
