Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran blasted the Western governments for misportraying the scientific breakthrough it has made in launching satellite into orbit.
Iranian officials expressed dismay at the negative attitude the Western governments are used to showing in reaction to Iranian scientific progress.
Enemies are trying to distort Iran’s scientific achievements portraying them as a military issue, Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said on Monday.
Iran on Sunday test fired a rocket to carry Omid (Hope) satellite into the orbit.
“Enemies of the progress of Iranian nation have not spared any efforts to portray Iran’s scientific, technical and peaceful achievements as a military success,” he said.
“However, the awakening and justice-seeking conscience of world nations knows the reality.”
Safir-e Omid (Messenger of Hope) satellite carrier was successfully launched in the presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The rocket, built by Iranian experts, was launched on the auspicious occasion of birthday anniversary of Imam Mahdi, the 12th Imam of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) Infallible Household.
He also hailed the launch of the Safir 1 satellite carrier as a triumph in domestic scientific and technological progress.
“Iranian scientists are always reaching new peaks in scientific and technological progress,” Najjar said.
Referring to the satellite-carrier rocket as “a precise guided launcher,” the minister said Safir 1 “can carry different satellites into the space and put them in pre-planned position.”
All parts of the rocket were produced inside the country and by Iranian experts, Najjar said adding that all pre-planned goals have been achieved by launching the satellite.
“The successful launch of Safir 1 shows that Iran has access to the ultra-modern technology required to manufacture, launch and track satellites as well as transmit and receive information from them,” he added.
Safir 1 is Iran’s first domestically-produced satellite carrier, capable of putting lightweight satellites into low earth orbit.
Iran declared the test a success for its plan over the next two years to launch four satellites for research, especially for improvement of telecommunications and monitoring of natural disasters.
Tehran also said it would help other Islamic states to launch satellites into the orbit.
The Head of the Iranian Aerospace Organization Reza Taqipour told press tv that the Safir launch will pave the way for Iran to send its domestically-built telecommunications satellite, Omid (Hope), into orbit “in the near future”.
“The main aim of the launch of Safir 1 was to reach a pre-planned orbit and to improve the country’s space industries,” Taqipour said.
Taqipour said Iran has plans to put a “series of satellites” into space by 2010 to aid natural disaster management programs and improve telecommunications.
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was present at Iran’s space center and read out the launch countdown, congratulated the Iranian nation on the great achievement despite economic pressures from the West.
“Sanctions have not isolated us. Instead, we have become more independent,” Ahmadinejad said after the launch.
Iran’s satellite carrier launch has prompted the US and Israel to step up accusations that Iran is developing long-range ballistic missile technology which can be used to launch nuclear weapons.
White House Spokesman Gordon D. Johndroe said Sunday that Iran’s rocket announcement was “troubling and raises further questions about their intentions” about the country’s nuclear program.
Extensive inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, have revealed Iran’s non-diversion from peaceful means. Iran is entitled to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which the country signed in 1970.
