Iran Launches Third Successful Noor Satellite in Three Years Despite US Sanctions

Sunday - October 1 2023, 00:09 UTC - 1 year ago

The Islamic Republic of Iran Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force has officially launched and delivered a third Noor satellite into orbit. This is the third successful launch since 2020 and US has imposed sanctions on Iran's Space Agency since 2019. US is reviewing if the latest launch violates the United Nations Security Council Resolution as it might constitute a threat to peace. Iran also has enough highly enriched uranium to build a few atomic bombs but it is not known to possess nuclear weapons.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force has officially launched and delivered a third Noor satellite into orbit. Launched from an undisclosed location in Iran aboard a three-stage domestically-made "Qased" rocket on Wednesday (September 27, 2023), this is the third successful launch since 2020. Initially reported by Iranian state media, the launch has since been confirmed by the U.S. Space Force, which tracked two objects in an orbit of around 280 miles (450 km).

Third in three years .

"God willing, this year will be a fruitful year for the country's space industry," Issa Zarepour, Iran's minister of communications and information technology, said. According to him, Iran aims to launch one or two additional satellites by the end of this year, as per the Iranian calendar (ending on March 19, 2024). Iran has experienced several unsuccessful launches in recent years, which they attribute to technical problems.

The satellite in question, according to Reuters, is officially an imaging satellite. Called, unsurprisingly, Noor 3, its two predecessors (Noor 1 and 2, respectively) were launched in April 2020 and March 2022. These satellites were also delivered using Iran's "Qased" rockets. The first satellite fell back to Earth in April 2022, but Noor 2 is still considered operational. This has led some to believe that Noor 3 and Noor 2 may work together once the former is up and running.

"Noor 3 was launched to the current altitude of Noor 2, not its original altitude," astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics wrote on X. "The two sats are in roughly the same orbital plane, suggesting they may work together. In contrast, Noor 1 was already on its way to reentry when Noor 2 was launched," he added.

All three Noor satellites are a class of Iranian military Earth-imaging CubeSat designed to orbit in low Earth Orbit (LEO). The Noor satellite program is unique as it was developed and launched by the IRGC instead of the Iranian Space Agency. The "Qased" series of rockets are classified as expendable small-lift orbital space launch vehicles. They use older liquid-fuel technology and are not considered powerful enough to potentially serve as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) platform.

But, the launches, including the latest one, are not without controversy. In 2020, the U.S. issued a statement claiming that Iran's satellite, Noor-1, defies a United Nations Security Council resolution that prohibits the regime from engaging in any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. This includes launches using ballistic missile technology (like the "Qased" rocket). The U.S. had previously imposed sanctions on Iran's space agency in 2019.

More worrying internationally is that, according to the United Nations, Iran has enough highly enriched uranium to build a few atomic bombs. Still, it is not known to possess nuclear weapons.

More sanctions coming? .

Sanctions have been placed on Iran by the U.S. government since the revolution in 1979, which led to the nation becoming an Islamic republic. This escalated following Iran's disputed nuclear program in 2002 and up until the reinstatement of the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018. Washington is still reviewing if the latest satellite launch from Iran violates the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231, as it, in the eyes of the U.S., might constitute a threat to international security and peace.