Iran conducted a suborbital launch on Monday using its Ghased satellite carrier, marking the country’s first such action since the recent truce with Israel brought an end to nearly two weeks of hostilities. That conflict also saw American strikes on nuclear-linked locations inside Iran.
According to the state-run IRNA news outlet, the purpose of the launch was to “assess some emerging new technologies in the country’s space industry,” with findings from the test expected to support the further growth of Iran’s satellite and aerospace sectors.
The report did not specify the location of the launch or provide additional technical information.
Originally introduced by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 2020, the Ghased rocket—powered by both liquid and solid propellants—successfully deployed a military satellite into orbit, according to a report by The Associated Press. Western nations, however, have long suspected that Iran’s space program is a front for advancing ballistic missile capabilities.
Iran has a history of attempting satellite launches. In September 2024, officials claimed a successful satellite launch using a rocket manufactured by the IRGC.
The year prior, the country launched another satellite using an IRGC-developed carrier.
In January 2022, Iranian leadership announced that a solid-fuel satellite launch vehicle built by the Revolutionary Guard had reached space and performed as intended.
The previous month, Iran reported it had sent three experimental satellites into orbit aboard a Simorgh rocket, as per a statement from Defense Ministry spokesman Ahmad Hosseini.
However, that claim was tempered the next day, when Iranian authorities acknowledged that the rocket failed to achieve the velocity necessary to insert the satellites into orbit.
The United States and allied nations have strongly criticized Iran’s space launch activity, arguing that such missions violate United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. That resolution, part of the 2015 nuclear agreement with global powers including the U.S., Russia, and European nations, urges Iran to refrain for up to eight years from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
{Matzav.com}
