[oasis-members] AW&ST: Iran Preparing to Launch a Satellite

[Craig Milo Rogers]

	According to an article on the Aviation Week and Space
Technology Web site, Iran is preparing to launch a satellite using a
converted ballistic missle.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/IRAN01257.xml

	On the one hand, Iran may be preparing to launch reconnaisance
satellites, perhaps as to gain parity with Israel's satelliteprogram
(Israel's first satellite was launched on 19 Sep 1988).  On the other
hand, the ability to launch a payload to orbit means the potential to
drop a payload from orbit, limited of course by the ground path of the
orbital track.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ofek

	Iran has previously launched a Russian-built satellite on a
Russian-build rocket, Sina-1 (or Sinah-1).  On the one hand, such a
satellite may be used to monitor Iran's territy, provide advice to
farmers to improve crop yields, etc.  On the other hand, such
satellites may be used to monitor Israeli and U.S. forces in the
Middle East.

http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4451
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinah-1

	It will be interesting to see if this event generates as much
public political furor as China's recent successful anti-satellite
demonstration.

					Craig Milo Rogers