Iran will send a new indigenous satellite into orbit in the coming days after a failed attempt earlier this month, Defense Minister General Amir Hatami said on Wednesday.
"Of the two satellites that the president recently announced will be sent into space, one was launched and another one will be launched in the near future," he told reporters in Tehran, IRNA reported.
The minister noted that the Safir (Messenger) carrier rocket will place a satellite into an orbit of 260 km. He did mention the name of the new satellite.
The space launch will take place before the "10-Day Dawn" celebrations, he said, while praising the country's progress in science and technology.
The "10-Day Dawn" commemorates the return to Iran from exile on February 1, 1979, of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of Islamic Republic.
The ceremonies last until Feb. 11, which marks the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in the same year.
On January 15, Iran attempted and failed to lift the Payam (Message) satellite into orbit using the Simorgh (Phoenix) rocket.
The satellite, according to President Hassan Rouhani, was intended to be used for imaging and communications purposes. It was planned to stay at an altitude of 500 km and conduct long-term operations.
Technical Issue
Asked about the failed bid, the defense minister said Payam failed in the final stage of the launch.
"We hope to resolve the technical problem, which has been identified, as soon as possible to have a successful launch," Hatami said.
According to Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi, the satellite "did not achieve the required speed".
Earlier in January, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Tehran against pursuing launches that he claimed violate a UN Security Council resolution because they use ballistic missile technology.
Under the UN Security Council Resolution that enshrines Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers—from which Washington pulled out last spring—the country is "called upon" to refrain from working for up to eight years on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons.
Iran has said its space vehicle launches and missile tests do not constitute a violation and would continue. It also pointed out that its missiles are solely for defense and only designed to deliver conventional—not nuclear—warheads.
The country has sent several satellites a short lifespan into orbit over the past decade. It launched its first domestically built satellite, the Omid (Hope) research and telecoms satellite, in 2009 on the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
