Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Russia to launch spy satellites for Iran
THE HINDU ^ | February 2, 2005 | Vladimir Radyuhin

Posted on 02/02/2005 3:59:57 PM PST by TapTheSource

Russia to launch spy satellites for Iran

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, FEB. 2. Russia will launch two spy and one telecommunications satellites for Iran in what may be a sign of strengthening strategic tie-up between the two countries.

The Russian military space forces this year will place two Iranian remote earth-probe (reconnaissance) satellites to geo-stationary orbits, a Russian business daily reported today. The satellites, Italian-built Mesbah and indigenous Sinah-1 will be lifted by the Russian Kosmos-3M booster from the Russian military space port, Plisetsk, in the second quarter of 2005, the Kommersant daily reported.

Russia will also build and launch a geo-stationary telecom satellite, Zohreh (Venus), for Iran under a $132-million deal signed earlier this week in Teheran. Moscow will also help the Islamic Republic in setting up two ground control stations and train local personnel.

Unlike the Zohreh contract, the deal for the launch of the two spy satellites, named Mesbah and Sinah-1, has not been made public. However, the Prime Minister, Mikhail Fradkov, signed a directive last month permitting the Russian Defence Ministry to launch "scientific" satellites for several countries, including two for Iran. The orbiting of two spy satellites will enable Iran to monitor the Persian Gulf and the territory of Israel for possible threats to its security.

Expansion

The expansion of the Russian-Iranian cooperation into space is bound to enrage the United States. Washington has been pushing Moscow — in vain so far — to freeze the construction of a nuclear power station in Bushehr.

A day after Russia and Iran signed the satellite deal, the U.S. Undersecretary of State, John Bolton, said Israel could shortly deliver a strike at Iranian nuclear facilities and did not rule out any U.S. options regarding on Iran.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: geopolitics; iran; nausea; russia; satellites; spysatellites
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-68 next last
What a master stroke by Putin!!! Look at what he and his KGB strategists have been able to get away with since becoming our "ally" in the War on Terror.
1 posted on 02/02/2005 3:59:57 PM PST by TapTheSource
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: dennisw; Cachelot; Yehuda; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Optimist; weikel; anotherview; ...

ping!


2 posted on 02/02/2005 4:00:37 PM PST by TapTheSource
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource

Time to dust off those old ASATs..


3 posted on 02/02/2005 4:01:52 PM PST by cardinal4 (George W Bush-Bringing a new democracy every term..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource

Time for a little "shop accident". You know those rockets don't react too well to the cold :-)


4 posted on 02/02/2005 4:01:54 PM PST by steveegg (The secret goal of lieberals - to ensure that no future generation can possibly equal theirs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource

The Putin fans sure are quiet. This is a new strategic challenge for Israel and the US. We need to hit them now. Its no longer a matter of just nukes. Muslims with ELINT and Reconsats is not a good thing.


5 posted on 02/02/2005 4:02:15 PM PST by Paul_Denton (Shoot first and ask questions later)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource

...and what the heck is Italy thinking?!?!? We should all be following this story very closely. Are they working with Iran and Russia against the US, Israel, and the rest of Europe for that matter?


6 posted on 02/02/2005 4:03:55 PM PST by TapTheSource
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource

Aren't we lucky to have such good friends? No?

That's all we need, crazy Islamofascists with nukes and satellites.

What if something happened to their satellites in the sky, if they were to "fall" out of orbit?


7 posted on 02/02/2005 4:05:14 PM PST by garyhope
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GSlob; K. Smirnov

ping!


8 posted on 02/02/2005 4:05:47 PM PST by TapTheSource
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource
The expansion of the Russian-Iranian cooperation into space is bound to enrage the United States.

Gee, ya think??? (author has a keen sense of the bleedin' obvious).

9 posted on 02/02/2005 4:12:18 PM PST by NonValueAdded ("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good" HRC 6/28/2004)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steveegg

I was thinking the same thing. Possibly a technical malfunction shortly after liftoff causing a catastrophic failure....oops.


10 posted on 02/02/2005 4:13:06 PM PST by IllumiNaughtyByNature (If Islam is a religion of peace, they should fire their P.R. guy!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource
One should quietly start a rumor there that as these satellites are built and launched by infidels, and - even worse - one is even called "Venus", every believer who uses the services will develop a venusian... er... venereal condition. The condition for the rumor pick-up and propagation are ripe.
11 posted on 02/02/2005 4:13:22 PM PST by GSlob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource

This is insanity!


12 posted on 02/02/2005 4:19:01 PM PST by Momaw Nadon ("...with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource

I say it was good timing on Bush's part to get Condi in there as Sec. of State. If anyone can stand up to Vlad, it's those two.


13 posted on 02/02/2005 4:20:49 PM PST by Pyro7480 ("All my own perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded upon Our Lady." - Tolkien)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: K4Harty

Keep your eyes on HAARP during launch - let's see if the stratosphere and ionosphere remain at their normal altitudes or not.

Israel has no right to be pissed at Russia for this. After all, Israel is China's #2 weapons supplier, so stop worrying about their feelings. If they'll sell us out to the ChiComs, they deserve what they get.


14 posted on 02/02/2005 4:28:53 PM PST by datura (Destroy The UN, the MSM, and China. The rest will fall into line once we get rid of these.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: cardinal4; steveegg; NonValueAdded

Looks like Poot's putting "the old gang" back together, huh?


15 posted on 02/02/2005 4:35:48 PM PST by Howlin (It's a great day to be an American -- and a Bush Republican!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: K4Harty; steveegg
Or better yet: problem free launch but tinker with the data stream every now and then as circumstances warrant.
16 posted on 02/02/2005 4:36:52 PM PST by BenLurkin (Big government is still a big problem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Howlin
Looks like Poot's putting "the old gang" back together, huh?

You could say that. The one good thing about Yeltsin was he was too plastered to have a Main Enemy :-)

17 posted on 02/02/2005 4:37:48 PM PST by steveegg (The secret goal of lieberals - to ensure that no future generation can possibly equal theirs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: TapTheSource

No wonder Iran is so arrogant...they are being courted by both Russia and China.

Must admit...this move by Russia at this time is a bit surprising.

The world is getting very dangerous...lots of chess pieces being moved.

The question then becomes whether Russia and China have also struck some kind of 'special' deal.


18 posted on 02/02/2005 4:38:57 PM PST by Dat Mon (will work for clever tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin
Or better yet: problem free launch but tinker with the data stream every now and then as circumstances warrant.

That would be too much of a tip-off (then again, I prefer the direct, break it permanently approach).

19 posted on 02/02/2005 4:39:04 PM PST by steveegg (The secret goal of lieberals - to ensure that no future generation can possibly equal theirs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

good point. False or delayed data streams.


20 posted on 02/02/2005 4:39:25 PM PST by IllumiNaughtyByNature (If Islam is a religion of peace, they should fire their P.R. guy!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-68 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson