{"id":13082,"date":"2020-01-29T05:45:17","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T05:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/29\/iran-photos-suggest-a-us-criticized-satellite-launch-looms\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:13:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:13:41","slug":"iran-photos-suggest-a-us-criticized-satellite-launch-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/2020\/01\/29\/iran-photos-suggest-a-us-criticized-satellite-launch-looms\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran, photos suggest a US-criticized satellite launch looms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates \u2014 Iranian officials and satellite images suggest the Islamic Republic is preparing to a launch a satellite into space after three major failures last year, the latest for a program which the U.S. claims helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Satellite images from San Francisco-based Planet Labs Inc. that have been annotated by experts at Middlebury Institute of International Studies show work at a launchpad at the Imam Khomeini Spaceport<\/a> in Iran\u2019s Semnan province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The photos also show more cars and activity at a facility at the spaceport, some 230 kilometers (145 miles) southeast of Iran\u2019s capital, Tehran. Such activity in the past has signaled a launch looms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The increased activity corresponds to an uptick in reports in state and semiofficial media in Iran about launches coming amid celebrations marking the days before the nation celebrates the 41st anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran routinely unveils technological achievements for its armed forces, its space program and its nuclear efforts during this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Iran\u2019s information and communications technology minister and a possible contender in the country\u2019s 2021 presidential election, also increasingly has been tweeting about the country\u2019s satellite program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He responded to a tweet late Monday night by the U.S.-based broadcaster NPR highlighting Planet Lab\u2019s satellite photos acknowledging Iran planned to launch a satellite system called the Zafar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An earlier report by Iran\u2019s state-run IRNA news agency quoted Jahromi as saying Tehran planned to launch six satellites into orbit this year, including the Zafar 1 and 2. IRNA described the Zafar 1 and 2 as communication satellites aimed at \u201cbroadcasting a single message to all users, establishing one-way voice communication between two users and sending a message to 256 direct users.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The apparent preparations for a rocket launch come after two failed launches<\/a> of the Payam and Doosti satellites last year, as well as a launchpad rocket explosion<\/a> in August. A separate fire at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in February 2019 also killed three researchers, authorities said at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The satellite failure in August drew even the attention of President Donald Trump, who later tweeted what appeared to be a classified surveillance image of the launch failure. The three failures in a row raised suspicion of outside interference in Iran\u2019s program, something Trump touched on in his tweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe United States of America was not involved in the catastrophic accident during final launch preparations for the Safir SLV Launch at Semnan Launch Site One in Iran,\u201d Trump wrote, identifying the rocket used. \u201cI wish Iran best wishes and good luck in determining what happened at Site One.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t