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Iran yesterday fired its first indigenously produced satellite into orbit, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Nov. 12, 2008).

(Feb. 3) - Iran’s Safir rocket prior to launch yesterday (Vahidreza Alai/Getty Images).

Iran used a Safir 2 rocket to carry the Omid satellite, according to Iranian media. Western powers have expressed concern that Tehran could also use the technology to build long-range, nuclear-capable missiles (see related GSN story, today).

"Dear Iranians, your children have put the first indigenous satellite into orbit," said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a television address today. "With this launch the Islamic Republic of Iran has officially achieved a presence in space."

The satellite is expected to provide Iran with "environmental data," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said. "The technological capacity of Iran is meant to meet the needs of the country," he said (Agence France-Presse/Google News, Feb. 3).