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TS News - Iranian Satellite Venus Ready

TELE-satellit News, 22 August 1996

Iranian Satellite Venus Ready
  TEHRAN, Iran, 96/08/22 (Sat-ND) -- For the first time, the Iranian
government has commented on the country's planned satellite system ZOREH
(meaning Venus.) This is at least the name under which Iran had filed six
orbital positions with the International Telecommunications Union ITU back
in 1995. They are 26, 34, 41, 47, 59, and 61.5 degrees east.

  However, talking to the newspaper Kayhan, Iranian Minister of Culture and
Islamic Guidance Mustafa Mirsalim didn't have many details to offer except
that "the government is making preparation and the project is underway."
According to the minister, the project mission is to counter what he calls
the Western cultural invasion.

  It is yet unclear how this will work for Iran as the state has issued a
ban of individual satellite reception. Another Iranian publication meanwhile
quoted an official of Iran's Telecommunications Corporation as saying "The
satellite is ready. We are waiting for the permission to launch it by the
authorities."

  It would of course be very interesting to know who built the satellite and
what rocket will be used to launch it. It is also very interesting to
consider the fact that the ITU recently set a deadline for Iran to use its
orbital slots, otherwise the reservations will expire. An educated guess
might be that Iran might enter the slot business and become a second Tonga.

  By: Peter Klanowski


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