Although its resolution is much lower than that which can be obtained by acquiring images from commercial satellites
Avi Blizovsky, concentration of sources
Iran has announced that the satellite it launched into space a month ago and which it stated was intended for scientific purposes, will also be used to spy on Israel. This is reported by the AP agency.
The satellite, "Sina-1" was launched about a month ago using a Russian rocket from a missile base in northern Russia. It is a satellite based on Chinese technology and as stated that it is intended for research and technological experimentation, as well as monitoring what is happening on Iranian soil. After the launch of the satellite, the heads of the Iranian space program announced that a second satellite, this time of Iranian manufacture, would be launched within a few months. In fact, the Sina-1 satellite was supposed to be a companion to the Mesbah satellite, but this satellite broke down after absorbing an electric current when it was connected to the launch vehicle, and after it was repaired, it would have to wait for another launcher to go into space.
The Iranian government stated at the time of the satellite's launch that its purpose was to photograph the territory of Iran and look for natural minerals and geological problems in the earthquake-stricken country. In addition, they claim that the lifespan of the satellite is 3 years and has a photo resolution of about 50 meters which is considered low resolution.
The satellite orbits the earth 14 times a day and it moves in the coffee orbit which is about 1,000 kilometers from the earth. The satellite had the ability to change the direction of the camera in a manner controlled by the control room on the ground. Through these possibilities, the Iranians obtained, in fact, the possibility of monitoring countries in the entire Middle East region, with Israel within range.
Iran's space program has suffered many delays resulting from technical problems and organizational difficulties. A study by the Yafe Institute for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University reveals that Iran has missed several target dates in its satellite program.
The reason for this is not clear, writes the report quoted on the Meadle East Newsline website, but it seems that they are related to the Iranian government's inability to manage government agencies.
The author of the report, Yeftah Shapir writes that the Sina-1 satellite launched from Russia on October 17, costs 15 million dollars, weighs 160 kg and contains two cameras and communication equipment.
For the news in Middle East News
For information about the agencies on the Haaretz website in English
