Iran Plans to Launch Satellite in 2005
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Iran said on Thursday it would launch its first satellite by May 2005, state television reported.
Mohammad Fathi, head of Iran’s Scientific and Industrial Research Center, said the domestically produced Mesbah (lantern) satellite would be used for weather forecasting and locating natural resources. The satellite, weighing 134 pounds, would be placed into orbit at an altitude of around 560 miles.
Iran had announced in January that it would be the first Islamic country to go into space and was developing its own launch pad.
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