Iran's Space Program: the Next Genie in a Bottle?
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IRAN’S SPACE PROGRAM: THE NEXT GENIE IN A BOTTLE? Lee Kass* External support continues to help advance Iran’s space effort. Tehran is advancing its space program to satisfy numerous civil and military objectives, including manufacturing satellites to accurately guide its Shahab ballistic missiles. The United States and Israel remain gravely concerned of Iranian efforts to gain more military power. The Iranian space endeavor mimics a disturbing pattern other countries use clandestinely to advance their long-range missile programs. Iran might reengineer the Shahab to carry future satellites and try to obtain significant political rewards from future satellite launches. Exploiting this event would unite Iran politically, complicating Washington’s regional objective, and further destabilizing the region. Iranian efforts to advance its space program throughout the region precisely. Statements follow an unsettling pattern seen elsewhere. from Iran’s president, Mahmoud In slightly different ways and to varying Ahmadinejad, who declared his intention to degrees of success, China, North Korea, and “wipe Israel off the map” and dismissed the Pakistan use a civil space pr ogram United States as a “hollow superpower,” clandestinely to manufacture longer -range heighten the level of tension. missiles to further safeguard national Iran might seek to develop a space security. Iran seeks to become a space program to improve national pride. power for similar reasons. This is a concern Successfully testing a launch vehicle would to the United States and its allies. Unlike allow Iran to boast that it is a space power. other Islamic countries with satellites, the The propaganda Tehran espouses following Iranian defense ministry plays a prominent this event might unite the country. This role in shaping the space effort with would further legitimize Ahmadinejad’s possible contributions from the Islamic policies and rhetoric, and generate greater Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). This regional and international fear regarding the military component manages the Shahab regime’s intentions. ballistic missile program, which Iran might modify into a space launch vehicle (SLV) EFFORTS TO DEVELOP SPACE with foreign support. TECHNOLOGIES The United States and its allies find the Iranian space endeavor threatening. Tehran Iranian efforts to exploit space began seeks to build satellites to improve the under the Shah who tried to improve his military’s ability to target potential enemies country’s scientific standing. In 1959, and to closely monitor the region. Tehran became a founding member of the Enhancing the Shahab to become satellite- United Nations’ Committee on the Peaceful guided would allow Iran to strike Israel and Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS). The United States military forces stationed United Nations ’ General Assembly Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 10, No. 3 (September 2006) 15 Lee Kass requested that UNCOPUOS review 1. Commercializing space programs international collaborative programs to for Earth observation, and exploit space for civil purposes, serve as a predicting environmental changes; forum for information exchanges, and encourage the development and facilitate 2. Promoting international cooperation the advancement of national programs to based on concepts of joint benefits; study outer space.(1) Iranian efforts to exploit space started 3. Encouraging space efforts in the over thirty years ago, which demonstrates private sector to increase awareness that the country put a premium on further within the public of space and understanding this arena. Iran built a facility incorporate related initiatives into to obtain photographs soon after the United daily lives ; States launched the first system designed to capture imagery of the Earth. The Iranian 4. Developing a mastery of space Remote Sensing Center (IRSC) is science and technology directed to responsible for gathering, processing, and assist in the development of space distributing relevant material to users programs and commercial projects; throughout the country for re source planning and management. The IRSC helps 5. Increasing interest in space officials determine suitable areas to programs among the youth, who develop, and its personnel maintained will play a notable role in the operations while the country experienced a country’s future. (3) revolution and a devastating conflict with neighboring Iraq. (2) Iran seeks to accomplish the se and other Partly as a response to Iran’s eight-year broad objectives in order to become more war of attrition against Iraq, Iranians technologically advanced. Possessing wanted to improve their political, social, imagery and other types of material from and economic standing. As such, the people space will assist Tehran to identify areas elected the pragmatist Ali Akbar Hashemi suitable for development and those to be Rafsanjani, and later , the reformist avoided because of their susceptibility to Muhammad Khatami as president. These earthquakes and floods. (4) Iran attempted leaders wanted to further modernize the partially to do that by manufacturing country partly with more Western financial satellites. On January 5, 2003, Rear assistance. To encourage greater Western Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the country’s support , both presidents diminished the former defense minister, stated that within fundamentalists’ influence. Khatami issued eighteen months, “Iran will be the first various reforms to modernize the country to Islamic country to penetrate the stratosphere include reinvigorating efforts for the nation with its own satellite and with its own to become more active in space. He helped launch system.” According to Shamkhani, the country to view becoming a space the satellite launch would be in response to power as a vehicle for modernity. Some of American actio ns: “The Persian Gulf was the goals Tehran enumerated at a 2002 once a place from which constant threats UNCOPUOS meeting reinforces this against the Islamic Republic emanated. But perception: now, with the resources that we are gaining, this region cannot be used against us by any 16 Middle East Review of International Affairs , Vol. 10, No. 3 (September 2006) Iran’s Space P rogram: T he Next Genie in a Bottle? outside force.” When he made this the defense minister and four “space announcement, Tehran figured it was the experts.”( 9 ) This arrangement raises next target after coalition forces met their national security implications, because one objectives in Iraq. That has yet to occur, but of the unspecified space specialists might Iran still seeks a space capability partly include the IRGC’s commander. Military because of America’s growing regional reforms in 1989 slightly curtailed this presence.(5) Developing these programs in group’s independence from the defense response to the increased United States ministry. While the IRGC retains an presence indicates that Iran feels threatened independent command, it administratively and partly seeks to exploit space to functions within the regular armed forces at safeguard its own national security. the General Staff.(10) The Iranian delegate Iran apparently attempted to meet some neglected to disclose the IRGC or the of the above-noted goals starting in April council’s efforts to safeguard security at the 2003. The legislature approved a bill to 2002 UNCOPUOS meeting, possibly to create the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) to minimize accusations that it wanted to serve as a policy-formulating organization exploit space for military purposes. for space initiatives. T he ISA performs research on technology, remote sensing DEVELOPING BALLISTIC MISSILES projects, develops national space AS SPACE PROGRAMS equipment, and participates in the development of national and international Reorganizing the Iranian aerospace space endeavors. It also coordinates various sector can help the country more effectively space-related activities within the country’s consolidate resources to advance various research institutes, administrative agencies, space efforts, such as launching satellites and universities. These efforts also help the onboard indigenously-developed SLVs. ISA to execute decisions from the Supreme Nasser Maleki, former deputy director of Aerospace Council. (6) the Iranian aerospace organization, Iran’s legislature created this body in acknowledged that the same technology December 2003( 7 ) to approve various used to manufacture missiles could also be space-related programs and to promote used to manufacture SLVs.(11) Building an partnerships among other organizations . (8) SLV based on ballistic missile technology The council functions with input from has distinct advantages: lower cost, less senior government officials. The IS A’s time needed for training, and less likelihood director serves as the council’s secretary, of international scrutiny because the same and the country’s president functions as technology can apply to manufacturing the chairman. Appointment of the president and SLV. These benefits might explain why not the minister of science or another more Iran seeks to deploy its satellites onboard knowledgeable stakeholder might impede indigenously-manufactured SLVs. (12 ) the advancement of current and future space Tehran will likely do that by modifying its projects, because the president has road-mobile, single-stage, liquid propellant numerous other matters to oversee and less Shahab ballistic missile . This and other expertise. Nonetheless, his presence raises liquid propellant systems have many the ISA’s