Iran launches second satellite of 2024 amid western concerns over ballistic missiles

Iran has successfully launched its second research satellite this year, according to state media reports, using a rocket developed by the Revolutionary Guards.

The Chamran-1 satellite was placed into orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometers (340 miles) by the Qaem-100 satellite carrier, which was designed and constructed by the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guards.

The satellite, weighing 60 kilograms (132 pounds), is intended to test hardware and software systems, including orbital maneuvering and cold gas propulsion subsystems.

The launch comes amid accusations from the United States and European nations that Iran has been supplying ballistic missiles to Russia, allegedly intended for use in the ongoing war with Ukraine. Iran has strongly denied these claims.

The U.S. military has raised concerns that the same long-range ballistic technology used to launch satellites could potentially enable Iran to deploy long-range weapons, including nuclear warheads. Tehran has repeatedly denied that its satellite launches are linked to ballistic missile development and maintains that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons.

This is the second satellite Iran has launched this year, following the Sorayya satellite in January, which was placed into a 750-kilometer orbit, the highest achieved by the country to date. Despite its ambitious missile program, Iran has faced several setbacks in recent years due to technical issues with previous satellite launches.