According to the Iranian Defense Minister, a version of the Shihab-3 missile will be used within about a year to launch a research satellite. Estimates: This is a cover for the development of military technology
The Iranian Defense Minister said that Iran will use a version of the Shihab-3 missile to launch a research satellite by 2005. This was reported by Reuters. According to the Iranian minister, the missile will be able to carry a satellite weighing about twenty kilograms, which will circle an orbit about 250 kilometers from Earth and send out simple signals. The project is called "Sapphire 313", Saphir is the Persian word for messenger.
Last month, Iran tested a missile it described as an improved version of the medium-range missile, the Shihab-3. According to estimates, the Shihab is capable of reaching a range of about 1,300 kilometers and hitting anywhere within Israel, as well as the American bases in the Persian Gulf.
Military experts say countries sometimes use research satellite development programs as a prelude to developing military technology. Uzi Rubin, a missile technology consultant at the Ministry of Defense, said: "Countries that develop missiles have a motivation to move towards launching satellites." "Unlike ballistic missiles, which are seen as related to the development of atomic weapons and are received with suspicion in the international community, there is no international norm against satellite launchers."
