Despite US warning, Iran launches satellite and fails

[Eugene]

Source: CNN

Despite US warning, Iran launches satellite and fails

By Mohammed Tawfeeq and Tamara Qiblawi, CNN
Updated 1134 GMT (1934 HKT) January 15, 2019

(CNN) — Iran launched a satellite on Tuesday that failed to reach orbit, after the US warned against the launch earlier this month.

The satellite "did not reach enough speed in the third stage and was not put into orbit," Mohammad Jahromi, the country's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, told the official IRNA news agency after a ceremony was held for the launch at Imam Khomeini Spaceport early Tuesday.

The minister said Iran would launch another satellite soon.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Iran earlier this month to scrap its planned satellite launch, threatening to increase sanctions on the country.

-snip-

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/15/middleeast/iran-satellite-launch-intl/index.html

[brush]

1. Why would Pompeo warn a sovereign nation not to launch a satellite

That's really way out of our lane.

[Eugene]

2. The objection is ballistic missile development.

A satellite launcher is a close relative of an ICBM. We have similar concerns about North Korea.

[zipplewrath]

3. "Failed to achieve orbit"

Yeah, and a rocket that "fails to achieve orbit" is basically what the warhead of an ICBM does, only intentionally. This could be seen as a successful ICBM test masquerading as a fail satellite launch.

[brush]

4. Still out of our lane. They don't seem to have a problem with China's space program.