Iran Puts First Homemade Satellite in Orbit

FoxNews.com ^ | Tuesday, February 03, 2009

[Joiseydude]

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has successfully sent its first domestically made satellite into orbit, the country's president announced Tuesday, claiming a significant step in an ambitious space program that has worried many international observers.

The satellite, called Omid, or hope in Farsi, was launched late Monday after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave the order to proceed, according to a report on state radio. State television showed footage of what it said was the nighttime liftoff of the rocket carrying the satellite at an unidentified location in Iran.

[mad_as_he$$]

This should be good.

[Colvin]

Omid they can believe in.
And BO wanted to stop our programs to knock these things outa the sky. Looks like another champain issue in a couple of years.

[MrB]

Don’t miss the point -

being able to “orbit a satellite” means

“being able to drop a nuke anywhere on the planet”

[Joiseydude]

being able to “orbit a satellite” means

“being able to drop a nuke anywhere on the planet”

Yep

[Diana in Wisconsin]

First available photo...

Seriously, though. This IS scary news. Gotta laugh or you'll cry. God knows 0bama won't do chit about this and shoot the thing down!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“The satellite, called Omid, or ‘Hope’ in Farsi...”

Terrific! They named it after ‘Dear Leader!’ *SPIT*

[G Larry]

“Iran has successfully sent its first domestically made satellite into orbit, the country’s president announced Tuesday,...”

He’s been known to make claims of success in the past, when it wasn’t necessarily so.

[John W]

Hopefully it ends up like this---

[GonzoGOP]

This, like Sputnik, Vanguard or any of the other early satellites is about lifting power. If you can put a satellite into orbit you can put a nuke half way around the world. Putting up a satellite is the polite way of saying to the world mess with me at your peril. The only message this satellite will send is that we have waited too long to deal with Iran. But that message it is sending loud and clear.

That beep beep beep is Russian for "go ahead make my day".

[domenad]

It was a trashcan with a sparkler attached to it. Somehow I’ll still sleep tonight.

[edpc]

State television showed footage of what it said was the nighttime liftoff of the rocket carrying the satellite at an unidentified location in Iran.

Here's an excerpt from and August 2008 report....

Other features of the launch raised suspicions, including the odd fact that it occurred at night. This runs counter to the long-established practice of launching test missions in full daylight so that cameras and visual observers can notice any anomalies during the early ascent into space.

After the launch, the initial (and later corrected) Iranian press reports echoed this theme: "The satellite was sent into orbit today on the occasion of the birthday anniversary of Shiites' 12th Imam (May God Hasten His Reappearance), thus illustrating the auspicious name of the Imam in the space."

The references to a hidden religious leader relate to Ahmadinejad's claims that a messianic Muslim ruler known as the Imam Mahdi, foretold by Shiite texts, would soon make himself known. Some have even speculated that the name of the rocket and satellite, Safir-e Omid, or “Messenger of Hope,” refers to Ahmadinejad’s world view.

There's a little too much hope and messiah stuff going around these days.

[edpc]

and = an

[Delta 21]

Thats the only thing it really ever meant for us.

[jwparkerjr]

re: The reports were not immediately verified by outside observers.

And thereby hangs the tale. The article is chock full of “The report said . . .”, “Ahmadinejad said . . .”, etc.

Do we really know the object is up there?

I grant it probably is, but I would like to see what the guys who spend their lives tracking objects in space have to say about it!

[SampleMan]

I wonder where their boosters drop, as they are not next to an ocean or extremely large like Russia.

[Iron Munro]

I wonder where their boosters drop, as they are not next to an ocean or extremely large like Russia.

Downtown Tel Aviv is the plan.

[Vaquero]

Iranian television said the satellite would orbit at an altitude of between 155 and 250 miles. It was taken into orbit by a Safir-2, or ambassador-2, rocket, which was first tested in August and has a range of 155 miles.

so let see, the missile used for the launch that has a range of 155 miles, can put something into orbit giving it an effective range of 25,000 miles. It has to be one or another.

[jwparkerjr]

Iranian television said the satellite would orbit at an altitude of between 155 and 250 miles. It was taken into orbit by a Safir-2, or ambassador-2, rocket, which was first tested in August and has a range of 155 miles. Hmmm . . . Talk about a free lunch. How can a rocket with a range of 155 miles get its payload up to as high as 250 miles? Sounds like more 'new math' to me!

[MrB]

They’re NEA school graduates, probably.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

Depends on the inclination they were shooting for. Generally you launch east - to gain speed from the earth’s rotation. They could shoot southeast at a moderate inclination and probably drop their booster in the Indian ocean. A lower inclination orbital insertion would probably drop the booster in Afghanistan or Pakistan. Not a real friendly act towards your neighbors.

[Thrownatbirth]

Do we really know the object is up there?

Sputnik had two switched carrier transmitters at 20MHz and 40MHz that made sure everybody, including ham operators, knew the satellite was in orbit. You could hear the Doppler shift as the craft rose and set.

[reagan_fanatic]

Here's a secret CIA photo of the launch...

[jwparkerjr]

I was on a Boy Scout overnight camping trip the Saturday we awoke to hear the news that Sputnik was in orbit. Our leader was a ham operator and lost no time at all in locating the beep beep of the satellite.

[GonzoGOP]

"Talk about a free lunch. How can a rocket with a range of 155 miles get its payload up to as high as 250 miles? "

Similar to the Redstone (147 miles) that we used for our first satellite launches. It can put a few tons 155 miles or a few kilos into orbit. Either that or they stuck a second stage on it and just used the IRBM to get out of the thick lower atmosphere.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

“being able to drop a nuke anywhere on the planet”

Not necessarily. It is an important step but... There are still several significant engineering hurdles.

The first question is throw weight. Or more directly, total impulse their system can produce. I haven't been able to find the weight of their satellite. It is one thing to push maybe a couple hundred lbs into a low orbit. However, throwing a first generation nuclear device is a different matter. That is more likely going to be nearly a ton of payload. Granted, it isn't headed for orbit, so it doesn't need to hit the same velocity. But it still needs a big stick to get it down range...

The next problem is simply making the physics package survive re-entry. The life of an ICBM warhead is pretty tough. Start off with some significant shock and vibration at liftoff. Throw in some ascent heating due to atmospheric friction. Then you hit the cold of space and solar radiation. Then a brutal decent angle that smacks the atmosphere at a significant re-entry angle and tremendous G load. Friction heating and aerodymamic buffeting... The upshot is, a science experiment in a cave in North Korea or Iran is not the same thing as a viable, reliable weapon.

Then there's the whole accuracy thing. Once you get your lift vehicle sorted out, and your re-entry vehicle ready... You have to have your system know where it is fairly accurately, including velocity, and be able to make some adjustments...

I'm not saying this Iranian launch is nothing to worry about - far from it. It is a big concern. I'm just saying it is not time to start digging a bomb shelter in the back yard. The missile defense program should sit up and take notice though. The really disturbing thing about the Iranian launch is the deliberate and apparently well thought-out development program they are following. They're not making many mistakes, and they're taking their time, getting the engineering right. That tells me this is a long-term no-sh*t for-real program to them. This is not some flash program they're using to try to scare their neighbors or gain negotiation points. This is not a program O and crew are going to be able to talk them out of.

[sionnsar]

"Homemade" sounds rather pejorative.

"In 2005, Iran launched its first commercial satellite on a Russian rocket in a joint project with Moscow, which appears to be the main partner in transferring space technology to Iran."

[sionnsar]

The reports were not immediately verified by outside observers.

My first question too.

[CholeraJoe]

You obviously know what you’re talking about. I haven’t heard the term “throw weight” since my days at Strategic Air Command back in the 80’s.

[GonzoGOP]

"But it still needs a big stick to get it down range"

Exactly. Do they have an R-7 or a scud with a second stage. It shouldn't be too hard to find out since a satellite in orbit can be tracked and its mass measured with a good degree of precision.

Remember that the R-7 was late 1940's technology taken to extreme size. And our Atlas was only slightly more advanced. Neither even attempted to do something as simple as staging, in both designs all engines are started at lift off, although some drop off when no longer needed. We built those things with vacuum tubes and slide rules. Sure they took an hour for launch prep, longer for the R-7, but they worked. Nobody would be surprised if the Iranians could build a copy of a MiG-15, yet the nuclear bomb, and the ICBM to deliver it are the same vintage technology.

[Thrownatbirth]

That's great. Nowdays, ham operators have routine conversations with space crews.

I once talked with Shannon Lucid when she was aboard Mir. She told me Post-It stickies don't work well in zero-G and she couldn't wait for the next Shuttle to bring her a stapler. You could also hear metallic noise in the background as Mir heated and expanded in the sunlight.

[domeika]

Ready for liftoff supreme leader (allah-aka-barry!)....

[IrishPennant]

Hah!!! No big deal - we did a satellite launch down in Mississippi too:

[GonzoGOP]

So that is why the Muslims use a half moon as their symbol.

[IrishPennant]

Bwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....That was just crappy of you

[Islander7]

“....I haven’t been able to find the weight of their satellite....”

According to AP, in another article, it weighed 60 pounds, had eight antenna and two frequencies.

If, Iran got their hands on a Russian suit case nuke, all they’d need is a reentry vehicle.

[calex59]

Sputnik had two switched carrier transmitters at 20MHz and 40MHz that made sure everybody, including ham operators, knew the satellite was in orbit. You could hear the Doppler shift as the craft rose and set.

Not only that you could visually verify that Sputnik was indeed going around the world simply by looking up at the right time, depending on your global position of course!

[TXnMA]

Until NORAD verifies the presence and orbit of the so-claimed satellite, this is just Ahmabinanutjob — as usual — barking thru his nether orifice.

[Red Badger]

Omid spelled backwards is DIMO.....................

[Locomotive Breath]

Does the sat have to face Mecca and pray 5 times a day? Given that in low earth orbit a “day” is about 90 minutes, that should keep it pretty busy.

[dusttoyou]

Spicy bean burrito!

[SampleMan]

That would have to be South-Southeast, or cross your fingers approach to the Bay of Bengal. I’ll have to check NOTAMS and see if they selected a spot.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

NOTAMS... You think they were nice enough to notify the international community? It would be interesting to know, if they did, how much notice they gave. Gives us a chance to get the intel assets on line...

[SampleMan]

NOTAMS... You think they were nice enough to notify the international community?

Fully tongue in cheek.

[Tommyjo]

NORAD ID 33506

http://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=33506