Iran will launch next week an experimental observation satellite, on the day of talks with world powers over its controversial nuclear program, the official IRNA news agency reported Monday. “The Fajr satellite will be launched on Khordad 3 (May 23),” the director of the Aerospace Industries Mehdi Farahi was quoted as saying. It will be the fourth satellite sent into space since 2009 by Iran, whose space program has attracted the concern of the international community which suspects that Tehran is seeking to develop long-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying conventional warheads or nuclear ones. This is the first time that the Islamic republic has announced in advance a date for the launch of a satellite. Previous launches were reported after the operations were successfully undertaken. On May 23 Iran opens talks with world powers in Baghdad over Tehran's disputed nuclear program. The Fajr (Dawn) satellite was presented by Iranian officials as “an observation and measurement” satellite weighing 50 kg (110 pounds), built by Sa-Iran, a company affiliated to the defense ministry. In Vienna, a senior UN nuclear official said Iran must give his inspectors access to information, people and sites as he began a two-day meeting with Iranian officials. The meeting in Vienna will test Iran's readiness to address UN inspectors' suspicions of military dimensions to its nuclear program, ahead of the talks next week.
