TEHRAN, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran failed on Sunday to put the indigenous satellite Zafar into orbit, state IRINN TV reported.
The homemade satellite carrier Simorgh launched the satellite into space, but the satellite could not gain the desired velocity to reach the required orbit, spokesman for space projects of Iran's Defense Ministry Ahmad Hosseini said.
The satellite carrier put Zafar at an altitude of 540 km, but the process could not be completed, Hosseini was quoted as saying.
The official noted that the Iranian space experts will analyze and work on the data, correct the problems and prepare to relaunch the satellite.
Iran launched the satellite at Imam Khomeini Space Center in Semnan province, some 230 km southeast of Iran's capital Tehran.
The launch came concurrent with the celebrations for the 41st anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The 90-km Zafar was a remote-sensing satellite equipped with color cameras and designed for surveying oil reserves, mines, jungles and natural disasters.
In August 2019, an Iranian rocket exploded on its launch pad at Imam Khomeini Space Center before its scheduled launch.
Iran sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in February 2010, using a Kavoshgar-3 carrier.
Iran's first home-built satellite Omid was launched in 2009.
Washington has criticized Tehran's space ambitions, claiming that it helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile program. Tehran, however, has denied the allegations, saying that its space program aims at civilian and peaceful ends.
