This Sunday, Iran “successfully” placed three satellites into orbit simultaneously for the first time in its history, two days after several European countries criticized its space program for the possibility of it being used for ballistic missile systems.
The launch of the Mahda satellites, weighing 32 kilos, Keyhan 2 and Hatef 1, both weighing 10 kilos, took place early in the morning with a Simorgh (Phoenix) transporter rocket at the Imán Ruholá Khomeiní Space Launch Terminal, reported the state agency IRNA.
The three devices were placed in a 450-kilometer orbit “successfully,” according to the media in the Persian country, which recalled that this launch occurred shortly before the 45th anniversary of the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which is celebrated on February 11th.
The Mahda (Tranquility of the Night) device's mission is to test the capacity of the Simorgh rocket, while the Keyhan 2 (Universe) nanosatellite will perform positioning and Hatef 1 (Mysterious Voice) communications functions.
This new satellite launch comes after France, the United Kingdom and Germany criticized the Iranian space program on Friday because it uses "essential technology for the development of a long-range ballistic missile system."
These criticisms came after Iran launched the Soraya satellite on Saturday, January 20, at an orbital height of 750 kilometers, the highest ever reached by the Persian country, which until now had placed them up to 500 kilometers.
The Persian country has a powerful space program, criticized by the United States and several European countries as they claim that it has military objectives and can use that technology to develop ballistic missiles.
Iran launched its first satellite into orbit in 2009. In 2017, it inaugurated the Imam Khomeini National Space Center and launched a space rocket carrying the Simorgh satellite. In April 2020, it managed to put its first military satellite into orbit, after several failures.
