TEHRAN - Iran yesterday said it simultaneously launched three satellites into orbit, nearly a week after the launch of a research satellite by the Revolutionary Guards drew Western criticism. “Three Iranian satellites have been successfully launched into orbit for the first time,” state TV reported.

The satellites were carried by the two-stage Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite carrier and were launched into a minimum orbit of 450 kilometres, it added.

The Mahda satellite, which weighs around 32 kilogrammes and was developed by Iran’s Space Agency, is designed to test advanced satellite subsystems, the official IRNA news agency said.

The other two, Kayhan 2 and Hatef, weigh under 10 kilogrammes each and are aimed to test space-based positioning technology and narrowband communication, IRNA added. Last week, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sent the research satellite Soraya into space. Britain, France, and Germany condemned that launch in a statement rejected by Iran as “interventionist”. Western governments including the United States have repeatedly warned Iran against such launches, saying the same technology can be used for ballistic missiles, including ones designed to deliver a nuclear warhead. Iran has countered that it is not seeking nuclear weapons and that its satellite and rocket launches are for civil or defence purposes only.

The Islamic republic has struggled with several satellite launch failures in the past. The successful launch of its first military satellite into orbit, Nour-1, in April 2020 drew a sharp rebuke from the United States.

 - Nampa/AFP