Iranian Ghaem 100 launch

Israeli media reported on Thursday, citing Israeli officials, that Iranian space technology brings Tehran closer to possessing intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities.

Haaretz newspaper quoted Israeli officials warning that "Iran could use the same technology it uses for missiles in its space program to manufacture ballistic missiles that carry nuclear warheads."

"It can also use this technology to greatly expand the range of its conventional missiles," they added.

The Israeli officials said that two of the missiles, which Iran has developed to launch satellites into orbit, have similar capabilities, including engines and fuel tanks, which can accommodate solid fuel.

They noted that "by using it, Iran can learn lessons that it can then apply for military purposes."

The newspaper pointed out that, "if a military version of any of the two missiles is produced, it can carry a warhead weighing half a ton, and have the ability to fly a distance of more than 4,000 kilometers."

Iran began its space program in the early 2000s, building its own satellite launcher on the Shahab-4 missile. The Semnan launch pad in the country's north was built in 2009.

Due to high costs, Iran's space program was suspended between 2015 and 2017. Two civilian test launches failed in 2019, but the Iranian military successfully launched two satellites into orbit in 2020 and March 2022.

Earlier in November, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force announced that it has successfully conducted a test launch of the Ghaem 100 satellite carrier into earth's sub-orbit.

The Ghaem 100 is a three-stage satellite launcher that uses solid fuel. It is capable of launching 80 kg satellites into orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers from the earth's surface.

The IRGC Aerospace Force launched Noor-2, another indigenously made satellite, using the domestically-built three-stage rocket propelled by a mix of solid and liquid fuels launcher Qassed (messenger) on March 8, 2022, and it is orbiting Earth at an altitude of 500 km.

In the wake of the Ghaem 100 successful launch, Israeli media reported in November that the occupation entity is highly concerned about Iran's ballistic missile capabilities.

Israeli Channel 12 news anchor Dana Weiss saw that Iran launching a rocket carrying a satellite is an additional sign of its growing ballistic missile capabilities.

"Naturally, in Israel, they are very concerned about these developments," she said.

Another report by Israeli broadcaster KAN said that the IRGC test launch is a "clear threat to Israel from Tehran," noting that behind the scenes, the Ukraine war was "starting to be used as an arena for Israel and Iran to clash."

The spacecraft planned to launch in 2023 include the Iranian Nahid, Pars-1, and Zafar satellites, which Tehran already has in its arsenal. The remaining four are still under construction.

The satellite series of Nahid, Pars-1, and Zafar are up there as the most modern Iranian spacecraft. They were designed for telecommunication purposes and for measuring radiation in space.