TEHRAN , Published 22 Apr 2020
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the launch of the satellite, which the Revolutionary Guard called Noor, or light. The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon, which say that such launches advance Iran’s ballistic missile program, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Revolutionary Guard said the satellite successfully reached an orbit of 264 miles above the Earth’s surface.
The two-stage satellite launch took off from Iran’s central desert, the Revolutionary Guard said, without elaborating. The paramilitary force said it used a Ghased, or “messenger,” satellite carrier to put the device into space, a previously unheard-of system.
The launch comes amid continued tensions between Tehran and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal and after a U.S. drone strike killed Revolutionary Guard leader Gen. Qassem Suleimani in January.
Iran has had several failed satellite launches in recent months.
On Sunday, the Revolutionary Guard acknowledged it had a tense encounter with U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf last week, but alleged without offering evidence that American forces sparked the incident. ( Loss Ageles Times )
