Iran’s Dummy Satellite Successfully Orbited

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran put a dummy satellite into orbit on a home-grown rocket for the first time on Sunday.

“The Safir (Ambassador) satellite carrier was launched today and for the first time we successfully launched a dummy satellite into orbit,” Reza Taghizadeh, head of the Iranian Aerospace Organization, told state television.

Iran in February tested another domestically made rocket as part of its satellite program, the Explorer 1.

Iran said at the time it needed two more similar launches before putting a domestically made satellite into orbit.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was present at Iran’s space centre and read out the launch countdown. He also “congratulated the Iranian nation on the great achievement”.

Following the launch, President Ahmadinejad insisted international sanctions had made Iran even stronger.

“Sanctions have not isolated us. Instead, we have become more independent,” he said.