The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) has said it is determined to continue its projects of sending humans into space as well as sending a research satellite into space if the administration finances their projects, Mohsen Bahrami, the newly appointed CEO of the agency, said on the sidelines of his welcoming ceremony on Monday.
During the event, minister of communications and information technology Mahmoud Vaezi lamented that Iran's peaceful and research-based space program has been unfortunately subject to international pressure amid fears that it could be developing rocket technology for military purposes. Mastering the technology for geosynchronous satellites, along with localizing, designing and launching of telecommunications and remote-sensing satellites are among other priorities of the ISA.
Iran launched its first locally-built satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009. The country also sent its first bio-capsule containing a small monkey into the space in February 2010, using Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) carrier.
Iran is one of the 24 founding members of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which was set up in 1959.
