From: George Sherwood 

On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 10:28:35 +0000, Adam wrote:

> http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1171894512735&pagename=JPost%
2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
>
> "ran on Sunday said it had successfully tested what it called a rocket
> that had reached space. The announcement, made on state-run television,
> was unclear, but appeared to refer to Iran's efforts to launch
> commercial satellites into orbit.
>
> Iran's Science and Technology and Defense ministries built the craft,
> the state-run television quoted Mohsen Bahrami, the head of Iran's Space
> Research Center, as saying.
>
> Bahrami provided no other details beyond saying that Iran had
> successfully launched what he called a space rocket or space missile.
>
> Iran in the past has announced that it wanted to be able to send its own
> satellites, including commercial ones, into orbit. But it has revealed
> little information about the project.
>
> In 2005, Iran launched its first such satellite in a joint project with
> Russia.
>
> Iran hopes to launch four more satellites by 2010, the government has
> said, to increase the number of land and mobile telephone lines to 80
> million from 22 million. It also hopes to expand its satellite
> capabilities to let Internet users to rise to 35 million from 5.5
> million in the next five years.
>
> Science and Technology Minister Mohammad Soleimani said Sunday that Iran
> would speed up its space program, the official IRNA news agency
> reported.
>
> "Investment in space is very serious and requires time, but we are
> trying to speed this up," IRNA quoted Soleimani as saying. "
>
> Attain orbit & you're capable of dropped things from orbit anywhere on
> earth.
>
> I wonder if they will sell/help with NK'es "satellite launching
> capabilities"?

Guess your hopes will have to wait a little bit longer.  Just a sounding rocket.

George

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070225/ts_nm/iran_space_dc


Iran has launched a sub-orbital rocket for scientific research not a
missile capable of reaching space as earlier reported, an aerospace
official told an Iranian news agency on Sunday.

Ali Akbar Golrou, the executive deputy of Iran's aerospace research center,
told Fars News Agency the rocket would not stay in orbit but could rise to
about 150 km (94 miles) into atmosphere before falling to earth by
parachute.

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