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Roundup: Iran launches fourth satellite into orbit

Xinhua, February 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

Iran launched its fourth satellite into orbit on Monday, state IRIB TV reported.

Equipped with GPS navigation system, the home-made satellite, named Fajr (Dawn), was put into orbit using home-made Safir-e Fajr satellite carrier.

Fajr satellite is technically characterized by an orbit which could promote from 250 to 450 kilometers through a thruster or an engine, Press TV reported, stressing that it is capable of staying in the space for 1.5 years while taking and transmitting high-quality pictures to the stations on earth.

The launch came as Iran started the 10-day celebrations marking the 36th anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that put an end to the monarchy of the U.S.-backed Shah regime in the country.

On Monday, President Hassan Rouhani congratulated the nation on the successful launch of Fajr satellite and said the Iranian scientists have entered a new phase in space sciences.

The Iranian government is determined to press ahead with its national space program, he said, adding that "we will proceed with this path until a phase that we will be able to meet our national needs in space by all (the Iranian) scientists and through local technology."

The Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said that the satellite, the new generation of Omid (Hope) satellite, was completely designed and built by Iranian experts in Aerospace Industries Organization of Defense Ministry and Iran's Electronic Industries Company.

Designing and building Fajr satellite showed the continuation of Iran's scientific progress in the field of advanced technologies, Dehqan said.

Iran, a founding member of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, launched its first domestically-made data-processing satellite, Omid, into space in 2009.

Its second satellite, dubbed Rassad (Observation), was launched into orbit in June 2011, whose mission was to take and transmit images of the earth along with telemetry information to ground stations.

The country launched its third domestically-built Navid-e Elm-o Sanat (Harbinger of Science and Industry) satellite into orbit in February 2012.

In January 2013, Iran sent a monkey into space aboard an indigenous bio-capsule code-named Pishgam (Pioneer).

Later in December 2013, the country sent a monkey, called "Fargam" or Auspicious, into space aboard Pajoheshan (Research) indigenous rocket. It returned the live monkey back to earth safely. Endit