Iran launched its first home-built space research center on
Monday in Tehran in presence of Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, the official IRNA news agency reported.
"The launch of the first space research unit would be great
stride to serve the mankind and would lead to Iran's exaltation and
progress," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.
The country's first space research center comprises of Omid (
Hope) satellite -- Iran's first homemade research satellite which
has been designed and constructed by Iranian experts, IRNA
reported.
The Omid satellite will be launched in the near future, it
added.
According to Iran's state television, Ahmadinejad, who was
accompanied by Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, visited
the ground station and the satellite launch pad at the complex,
located in Iran Electronics Industries Co. (Sa-Iran) in Tehran.
The project for the Omid satellite took 10 years for the Iranian
experts to accomplish and the satellite itself is designed to
function in a low earth orbit system, the report said.
In February 2007, Iran joined the international space-faring
community when it successfully tested a rocket that went into space
as part of its drive to launch five satellites into orbit by 2010,
it said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2008)
