Iran launches military satellite, sending nation's largest-ever payload to orbit: reports

[Admin]

Iranian state media claimed one of the country's Simorgh rockets launched its largest payload yet, sending three spacecraft into low-Earth orbit on Dec. 6.

Iran launches military satellite, sending nation's largest-ever payload to orbit: reports : Read more

 

[Unclear Engineer]

I am not seeing much value in a "space tug" that only weighs something less than 600 pounds. It could not have enough propellant left in it to lift another object of any significance into geosynchronous orbit, even if Iran has developed the necessary rendezvous and docking capabilities to join 2 separately launched payloads into space.

But, a 660 pound payload to orbit is sufficient to put a modern nuclear warhead into any target on Earth - it is ICBM launch capability.

However, Iran may not be capable of making light and also powerful nuclear weapons. The "Fat Man" bombs that the U.S. produced in World War II weighed more like 10,000 pounds.

 

[COLGeek]

I am not seeing much value in a "space tug" that only weighs something less than 600 pounds. It could not have enough propellant left in it to lift another object of any significance into geosynchronous orbit, even if Iran has developed the necessary rendezvous and docking capabilities to join 2 separately launched payloads into space.

But, a 660 pound payload to orbit is sufficient to put a modern nuclear warhead into any target on Earth - it is ICBM launch capability.

However, Iran may not be capable of making light and also powerful nuclear weapons. The "Fat Man" bombs that the U.S. produced in World War II weighed more like 10,000 pounds.

This is purely speculation and assumption in regards to "possible" intent.

As a sovereign nation, they are certainly entitled to do as they did. Just like other space-faring nations.

Worthy of discussion, but lets not leap to any conclusions, please.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

The speculation was already mentioned in the article, which is why I mentioned it in the comment.

The article also mentioned Iran is intending to launch its own astronauts into space. But it seems like that is going to require a much bigger rocket. The U.S. single-seat Mercury capsules weighed about 3,000 pounds. An ICBM (Atlas missile) was necessary to get that into orbit. An IRBM (Redstone missile) was used for the first sub-orbital flights.

Considering that Iran has been launching ballistic missiles in actual warfare this year, it is an issue worth some discussion. The "international community" has been trying to prevent Iran from making both ICBMs and nuclear weapons for decades. The same was tried with North Korea, which, as already reported, has now developed both. And North Korea has been more effectively isolated and for a longer period than Iran.

 

[COLGeek]

The speculation was already mentioned in the article, which is why I mentioned it in the comment.

The article also mentioned Iran is intending to launch its own astronauts into space. But it seems like that is going to require a much bigger rocket. The U.S. single-seat Mercury capsules weighed about 3,000 pounds. An ICBM (Atlas missile) was necessary to get that into orbit. An IRBM (Redstone missile) was used for the first sub-orbital flights.

Considering that Iran has been launching ballistic missiles in actual warfare this year, it is an issue worth some discussion. The "international community" has been trying to prevent Iran from making both ICBMs and nuclear weapons for decades. The same was tried with North Korea, which, as already reported, has now developed both. And North Korea has been more effectively isolated and for a longer period than Iran.

Fully understood. We just don't need this discussion to go down any (unnecessarily) dark rabbit holes.

 

[trailrider]

Iranian state media claimed one of the country's Simorgh rockets launched its largest payload yet, sending three spacecraft into low-Earth orbit on Dec. 6.

Iran launches military satellite, sending nation's largest-ever payload to orbit: reports : Read more

Potentially, the capability to launch certain payloads into orbit makes for the capability to make the rocket into an ICBM. However, that doesn't necessarily mean Iran has solved the reentry problem. Recall that the Russian "Chief Designer", Korylov had not done so in 1957. He went to Nikia Khrushev and persuaded him to let Sputnik I be launched to scare the daylights out of the U.S., which it did...for a time.

While the Iranian launch of such payloads should be taken as a warning, let's not panic...yet. Perhaps things can be worked out with Iran after...uh...January 20th, for the benefit of world peace.