Iranian Satellite Launch Fails

The U.S. contends that the rocket used to carry Iran’s failed satellite into space is actually a testbed for nuclear missile technology. (Wikimedia Commons)

In a blow to the Iranian space program, the satellite Victory failed to reach orbit on February 8. The launch came just days before the 41st anniversary of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, as well as parliamentary elections in the country. According to U.S. officials, the Iranian satellite program also has ties to its missile program, although Iranian officials deny that claim.

Iran’s satellite program has a long history. However, a brain drain from Iran following its revolution resulted in a lack of space technology expertise, although Iran did begin to develop satellites in 2005 with the aid of Italian and Russian companies. The pulling of funding briefly ended the program until 2015, when Iran started a new program. In 2019, a satellite blew up on the launch pad, after which the Iranians suggested that American cyber-attacks were responsible for the failure. 

The Victory satellite failed to reach orbit, although it reached "90 percent of the way," according to Iran’s Defense Ministry. Iranian Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Jahromi, however, did not see this as a setback, claiming that Iran is “UNSTOPPABLE!” and that they  “have more Upcoming Great Iranian Satellites!” For the United States, however, the satellites pose a worrying security threat.

The Simorgh rocket, which carried Victory into space, was showcased on February 4, 2019, as part of Iran’s ballistic missile program. The unveiling was met with hostility from the United States, with State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert calling it a "provocative act" that violates the "spirit" of Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement. Furthermore, the State Department argued that “the technology is inherently designed to carry a nuclear payload,” and the Pentagon suggested that the “technology can be used to develop long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles.” 

France also criticized the launch, claiming “that it was inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which ‘calls upon’ Iran not to undertake any activity related to missiles ‘designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.’”

In response to international hostility toward the satellite program, Iran’s defense minister argued that the project “constitutes a completely non-defensive and non-military issue.” The United States, however, is extremely worried about the satellite program and its capability to deliver rockets. The most recently developed ballistic missile, the Sejjil-2, has a range of more than 2,500 miles and the capability to hit much of the Middle East. Recently, Iranian missiles have hit American bases in Iraq, as well as Saudi Aramco oil fields in September. 

Another satellite, the Victory-2, will launch in June, according to Iran’s national broadcasting service.