Iran to Launch Omid Satellite in June 08, to Build Remote-Sensing Satellites

Text of report by Iranian conservative, privately-owned Fars News Agency website

Tehran, 4 February: The defence minister [Mostafa Mohammad Najjar] has said: Our domestically-made satellite, called “Omid” [hope] will be launched next Khordad [21 May 22 June 08]

In a speech on the inauguration day of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s first homemade space terminal, Brig-Gen Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said: In the presence of the president [Mahmud Ahmadinezhad], three important national and aerospace projects have been inaugurated. These projects are in line with the aspirations of the system, guidelines of the supreme leader [Ali Khamene'i], policies and objectives of the ninth government, and the 20-year [economic] outlook.

He said that the children of the Iranian nation made non-stop efforts in industrial and scientific centres to complete these three important national and aerospace projects.

Elaborating on the aerospace objectives of the country, he said: Achieving an influential aerospace power, considering the strategic importance of improving national self-confidence; improving national identity; developing the software and hardware infrastructure of the country; entering world markets for industries and space services; and creating the capability to build, test, launch, operate and control satellites are among the aerospace objectives of the country.

The defence minister elaborated on Iran’s first satellite, called Sina, and said that it was built and launched with the help of foreign countries a few years ago. He said Iran’s domestically-made satellite will be launched next Khordad. He said: Omid satellite will be on the orbit in Khordad 87.

Mohammad-Najjar said Iran’s aerospace blueprint will be carried out in three phases in years 1386-1388 [2008-2010], 1388-1391 [2010- 2013]; 1392-1394 [2013-2015]. He said: In the second phase of this blueprint, there are plans to build two telecommunication and research satellites, a telemetry station and a joint satellite with Islamic countries called Besharat.

Elaborating on the third phase of the blueprint, he said: The building of two remote-sensing satellites [vernacular: mahvareh sanj[esh] az dur] with high resolution and the launching and placing of a satellite in lower orbits up to 10,000 kilometres are among our other aerospace projects.

According to Fars, Iran’s fist space centre, which included the domestically-made Omid satellite, earth stations and a launcher, was inaugurated in the presence of the president and Ahmadinezhad ordered the launch of Iran’s Kavoshgar 1 rocket.

Originally published by Fars News Agency website, Tehran, in Persian 0845 4 Feb 08.

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