Iran launches its first military satellite, Sepahnews website, associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, part of the Armed Forces of Iran), reports.
The Noor (Light) satellite, orbited the Earth at 425km, was deployed from the Ghased (Messenger) two-stage launcher today in the morning by the IRGC.
The operation took place after an unsuccessful attempt to launch another satellite in early February, which was not intended for military purposes.
In January, Tehran has had several failed satellite launches. A number of Western countries, which believed that the actions of Iran did not comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, condemned that attempt. At the same time, Russia has repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that the exact wording contains only an appropriate call.
Commenting on the current launch, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami said that it increases the country's defense capabilities.
"The successful launch of the satellite increases various dimensions of the defense capability of the Islamic Republic of Iran. With God's grace, the IRGC has now become a space force," the IRGC commander said in particular.
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Photo: SpaceX-Imagery / Pixabay