Iran to launch satellite with large coverage zone

Iran will launch a satellite into orbit with a large coverage zone. It will be able to meet all Iran's needs in the near future, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted by the Mehr news agency as saying.

"Today we have all the necessary technology," Ahmadinejad said.

He said the country will take new steps in this direction this year.

Iran successfully launched the Rassad-1 satellite with the help of a rocket on June 15.

On June 16, the head of Iranian Space Agency Hamid Fazeli said Iran plans to launch three satellites into space by the end of the current year, with a 285 kilogram-load and a monkey on board of one of them.

He added that the second Fajrsatellite will be sent into space in early October and will stay in orbit for 1.5 years.

He said the third Navid satellite will be launched into orbit in February 2012.

In July 2010, Iran announced its intention to launch a new artificial satellite in the last week of August.

Iran successfully launched the Kavoshgar -1 missile on Feb. 4, 2008, which was used to collect data and place the first national satellite into orbit.

In February, Iran successfully test-fired the Kavoshgar-3 rocket, which carried one rodent, two turtles, and several worms into space and returned them to Earth alive.


/Trend/