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| Iran Tests Launch of Ghaem 100 Suborbital Rocket With A Satellite Payload Of 80 Kg |
Tehran - Iran's Revolutionary Guards have successfully tested the launch of a new Ghaem 100 rocket designed to carry an 80-kilogram satellite into orbit 500 kilometers above Earth. The United States suspects the Ghaem 100 rocket is Iran's ballistic missile development.
The IRNA News Agency reported that the Ghaem 100 rocket underwent a test launch on November 5, 2022 from an unspecified location. The Ghaem 100 rocket is a three-stage solid fuel vehicle for suborbital flight. "The flight test of this satellite carrier with a solid-fuel engine was successfully completed," IRNA reported, quoted from Space.com, Monday (7/11/2022).
It is known that Iran conducted the first flight of the Zoljanah suborbital rocket in 2021. According to Al Jazeera, Saturday's launch was to test the first stage of the Ghaem 100 rocket. "The Ghaem 100 rocket will be used for the launch of Iran's Nahid communications satellite in the future," said Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Chief Aerospace Division of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
The test flight follows Russia's launch of an Iranian military spy satellite in August 2022. Iran's first military satellite launch was in 2020 with a Qassad rocket. US officials are watching Iran's rocket program closely. The US is concerned that such space launch technology could also be used to develop ballistic missiles as long-range weapons.
Last month, satellite operator Eutelsat accused Iran of interfering with two satellites used to broadcast Farsi-language television and radio from abroad. Iran's capabilities in space exploration are good enough to become the concern of the superpowers.