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Iran satellite launch fails, in blow to space programme
Iran said it "successfully" launched a satellite Sunday but failed to put it into orbit, in a blow to its space programme that the US alleges is a cover for missile development.
The attempted launch of the Zafar -- "Victory" in Farsi -- comes days before the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and crucial parliamentary elections in Iran.
Iran on Sunday also unveiled a new a short-range ballistic missile and its "new generation" of engines designed to put satellites into space.
The Revolutionary Guards' website said the Raad-500 missile was equipped with new Zoheir engines made of composite materials that make them lighter than previous steel models.
It also unveiled Salman engines made of the same materials but with a "movable nozzle" for the delivery of satellites into space, allowing "manoeuvrability beyond the atmosphere".
In January 2019, Tehran announced that its Payam -- "Message" in Farsi -- satellite had failed to reach orbit, after authorities said they launched it to collect data on the environment in Iran.
The United States said the launch of the carrier rocket was a violation of a 2015 UN Security Council resolution endorsing the international accord on curbing Tehran's nuclear programme.
Resolution 2231 called on Iran to refrain from any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
Tehran confirmed in September that an explosion had taken place at one of its satellite launch pads due to a technical fault, and slammed Trump for "gleefully" tweeting about it at the time.
Trump said the US had nothing to do with what he called a "catastrophic accident" at Semnan Space Centre, also tweeting a high-resolution picture pointing to apparent damage at the site.
Sunday's developments come at a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, after a January 3 US drone strike killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.
Iran retaliated days later by firing a wave of missiles at American troops stationed in Iraq.
Its defence forces had been braced for US retaliation when they accidentally shot down a Ukraine International Airlines flight a few minutes after take-off from Tehran on January 8.
Iran says its internet services have faced cyber attacks for the past two days, without elaborating on the source of the attack or the likely motives.
The country's on-off space programme unsettles some Western nations as the technology used in space-bound rockets can also be used in ballistic missiles.
The Islamic republic has successfully launched several satellites since February 2009.
It has also sent monkeys, a turtle, mouse and worms into space.
SOURCE: AFP
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