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03/02/2010 Iran successfully fired on Wednesday a home-built satellite rocket, Kavoshgar 3, carrying an "experimental capsule," state-owned Al-Alam television reported. “Projects that we inaugurated are mostly on the very edge of modern technology… each one of them call for a national celebration,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday, while addressing a gathering of scientists and state officials.
“Those individuals whose contributions have made all this possible deserve praise,” he added.
The ceremony was held to mark the test-firing of the Kavoshgar 3 (Explorer 3) satellite carrier, which has the ability to transmit telemetric data, live pictures and voyage analysis information.
The launch of Kavoshgar 3 was not the only cause for the gathering on Wednesday, as three new domestically built satellites called Tolou (Sunrise), Mesbah 2 (Lantern), and Navid (Promising Sign), were also unveiled, in addition to a new satellite carrier engine dubbed Simorgh 3.
The Iranian Aerospace Organization said: “Live video transmission and the mini-environmental lab will enable further studies on the biological capsule — carrying a rat, two turtles and worms — as it leaves Earth’s atmosphere and enters space,” Press TV said.
Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the space program was specifically for peaceful purposes and Iran would not tolerate “any unpeaceful use of space by any country,” the official IRNA news agency said.
While hailing what he described as Iran's “miraculous” scientific achievements, the president also sent out the message that Tehran was ready for technological cooperation with the world.
He said that enemies could not stop Iran's progress, stressing that the “unparalleled” scientific breakthroughs his country had achieved were “just the start” of a new era of development for the Islamic Republic. Ahmadinejad described Iran as a source of “hope” for many other nations and said that Tehran aspired to achieve scientific progress, not military confrontation.
In a televised interview on Tuesday night, President Ahmadinejad said Iran has now mastered the technology and knowhow to produce enriched uranium up to 20 percent.
However, he said Iran is ready to give the West another opportunity over the long-standing issue and send uranium abroad for further enrichment, in accordance with a UN-backed plan.
Ahmadinejad said Iran has "no problem" sending low-enriched uranium abroad in one batch and getting it back several months later, when it is enriched to 20 percent capacity.
The UN-backed deal calls for Iran to give 70 percent of its low-enriched uranium to France and Russia, in return for fuel for a nuclear research reactor in Tehran.
“It can only be welcomed if Iran is prepared to accept a deal aimed at ending the standoff over its nuclear program,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday.
Britain’s Foreign Office said in a statement that it would be a "positive sign" by Iran but stressed talks remain "the crucial issue".
However, France said it is "concerned" by Iran's announcement that it has launched a home-built satellite because the technology behind it could also be used to fire ballistic missiles, its foreign ministry said.
The Iranian head of state also promised to announce good news about “great achievements” by Iranian scientists in the aerospace industry in the near future. The revelation came after Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced on Monday Iran would inaugurate five important aerospace projects on February 3, designated as Aerospace Technology Day in Iran.
Meanwhile, the Iranian president blasted foreign military deployments to the Persian Gulf as a scheme to loot resources of the region. He said Iran would counter any possible military strike and "is not afraid of the threats or military arsenal of the West."
He also touched on the issue of the three American hikers detained in Iran for illegally trespassing the Iranian border and said he would hold talks "to have an exchange with Iranians in the US jails, if possible." Ahmadinejad said: “Many Iranians are in U.S. prisons,” and added , “They have stolen our citizens from other countries. They pressured other countries to arrest many of our citizens."
However, the US White House has reacted to Ahmadinejad's remarks, saying it had held no discussion with Iran about a possible prisoner swap. "We have not entered into any discussion with Iran about an exchange," National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer told AFP on Tuesday.
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