Iran Tests Suborbital Rocket Booster

Iran has flight tested a suborbital rocket, raising Western concerns that the nation has improved its ballistic missile capabilities, Reuters reported yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 7).

The sounding rocket was not capable of reaching space, but could reach Earth’s upper atmosphere, said Ali Akbar Golrou, executive deputy of Iran’s aerospace research center.

Iran launched a satellite into orbit in 2005, but that was boosted by a Russian rocket (see GSN, Nov. 30, 2004).  The recent test was of a booster made by Iran, according to Reuters.

“Building a satellite and satellite launcher … and becoming a member of the space club are part of the Defense Ministry’s plans,” Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said Saturday (see GSN, Jan. 26; Reuters/New York Times, Feb. 25).

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