An Iranian missile test aimed at putting a dummy satellite into orbit failed, a US defense official said on Tuesday.
“We detected a missile launch from Iran on Aug. 16 and our reports indicated it was unsuccessful,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “It did not reach orbit.”
Iran announced on Sunday that it had successfully launched into space a missile with a dummy satellite. There were conflicting accounts by Iranian officials as to whether the missile was carrying a satellite or simply capable of carrying one.
A US intelligence official, who asked not to be identified, said the Iranian missile failed shortly after lift-off.
“It was a rather dismal display,” the official said. “It certainly didn’t get very far off the ground, and it definitely did not meet the overall objectives that the Iranians reported the test achieved.”
But Charles Vick, a senior analyst for GlobalSecurity.org research group, said Iran appeared to have succeeded in igniting the second stage of its booster rocket and gained data that will help it perfect its launch system.
The technology could also be used to develop a rocket capable of carrying nuclear weapons to Europe or China, he said.
He based his assessments of the test on photographs, public reporting and earlier analyses.
“They’re not there yet and that’s to be expected but this is a step forward that has implications strategically,” Vick said.
Iranian television showed the rocket on its launch pad but did not show the actual lift-off.
Iran gave no description of the satellite’s orbit, an indication it did not reach orbit but failed some time earlier, Vick said.
“The failed launch shows that the purported Iranian space program is in its nascent stages at best — they have a long way to go,” a US intelligence official said.
The test follows what appeared to be an unannounced test failure of the same Safir vehicle in February, Vick said. That was followed on the same day by the successful launch of another rocket in its space program.
The US has called on Iran to stop testing ballistic missiles.
“The Iranian development and testing of rockets is troubling and raises further questions about their intentions,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said on Sunday.
The latest Iranian test was observed from a US ship somewhere in the Gulf region and was headed toward the Indian Ocean, Vick said. He said the second stage ignited before another failure brought the rocket down — a step forward from the February test. Where it came down was unclear.
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