Iran successfully launched its research satellite, Chamran-1, into orbit on Saturday, marking the country’s second successful launch this year, reports IRNA.
The Chamran-1 satellite, developed and built by Iranian Electronics Industries (SAIran), was placed into orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometers (340 miles). The satellite weighs 60 kilograms, and its primary mission is to test space equipment and software, according to state media.
This launch comes amid allegations from the United States and European countries accusing Iran of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia, which could potentially be used in the ongoing war in Ukraine within weeks. Tehran denies these allegations, asserting that it has not provided missiles to Russia and has no intentions of developing nuclear weapons.
In January, Iran also successfully launched the Sorayya satellite into an orbit of 750 kilometers, marking the highest altitude achieved by the country for a satellite launch.
U.S. military officials have noted that the technologies used for launching satellites into orbit could potentially be adapted for launching long-range missiles, including nuclear warheads. However, Iran denies that its satellite program is a cover for developing ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons.
Iran, which has one of the largest missile programs in the Middle East, has faced several setbacks in satellite launches due to technical issues in recent years.
