Iran launches its first military satellite

Iran has announced it successfully launched the country's first military reconnaissance satellite after months of failures, a programme the United States alleges is a cover for missile development. "The first satellite of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been successfully launched into orbit by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC]," said the elite forces' official website on Wednesday. It said the satellite - dubbed the Nour - was deployed from the Qassed two-stage launcher from the Markazi desert, a vast expanse in Iran's central plateau. The satellite "orbited the Earth at 425km [264 miles]", said the website. "This action will be a great success and a new development in the field of space for Islamic Iran." The IRGC called it the first military satellite ever launched by Tehran. It used a Ghased, or "Messenger", satellite carrier to put the device into space, a previously unheard-of system. As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and historically low oil prices, the missile launch may signal a new willingness to take risks by Iran. Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter:   / ajenglish   Find us on Facebook:   / aljazeera   Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #AlJazeeraEnglish #Iran #MilitarySatellite