Fake Rocket Real
Gateway reported on Iranian rocket fauxtography. Stratfor, reporting on a rocket launch, suggests fake but real:
An Iranian sounding rocket capable of flinging its payload to an altitude above 90 miles was reportedly launched Feb. 25 for educational and research purposes, Ali Akbar Golrou, deputy head of Iran’s Space Research Center, said. Earlier that day, Mohsen Bahrami, head of the research center, described the missile as a “space rocket.” Though official Russian statements and an anonymous U.S. military source cited by Agence France-Presse on Feb. 26 questioned the launch, the events of Feb. 25 illustrate two dynamics within Iran’s government — portions of which are quick to tout any new weapon or scientific advance even if they do not understand it.
In January, the chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission leaked to Aviation Week & Space Technology that an Iranian satellite launch vehicle had been assembled and was being prepared for launch. Though this is very possible, it now appears that he could have been touting the sounding rocket.
Sounding rockets can serve many purposes and are commonly used for atmospheric tests or experiments that require several minutes of weightlessness. Sounding rockets do not insert their payload into orbit. Sounding rockets undergo less acceleration and release their payloads earlier than satellite launch vehicles (SLVs). The payload — be it an experiment or a test object — travels in a parabolic arc as gravity drags it back to Earth. Most experimental payloads deploy a parachute on the downward flight so they can be recovered.
A sounding rocket does not necessarily represent a new degree of technical prowess for Iran. Even some of the country’s older surface-to-air missiles and much of its ballistic missile arsenal could have been rewired to perform this very mission. However, the possibility that this was a more substantive test should not be ruled out. Whatever the truth, Iran’s primary concern of late is not the molecular makeup of the rarified upper atmosphere. This sounding rocket could have carried a new re-entry vehicle for a ballistic missile (although Golrou said a parachute brought the rocket’s payload back to Earth) or a second stage for a new two-stage missile or SLV.
Topics: Iran
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 11:40 pm on Monday, February 26, 2007
2 Responses to “Fake Rocket Real”
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February 27th, 2007 at 1:48 am
I smell a misinformation campaign here. From this end of the data feed, there’s no clue as to which way this really goes.
But, in either case, it’s a good bet that the Iranians are trying to spook us.
February 27th, 2007 at 2:16 am
Now, let’s not make more of this than need be. After all, every one and their goat in Iran has gone out of their way lately to tell us how wonderfully peaceful they are and love us and all, and how they sincerely want to chat, and are more than willing to help out in Iraq and all, etc., and so on. I know, because Diane Sawyer and that Christine Amphorpourinadrink person, have gone to great lengths to get the story out to all of us idjits that can’t think of doing anything but blowin’ up the world for fun and profit. If we see Tel Aviv vaporized, then we’ll have something to talk about. Until then, let’s be nice and send out a dove of peace and see if it flies as well as that missile.
We wouldn’t want the toad to think we speak eliminationist around here.