Iran to send Heavier Satellites into Space

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran is planning to manufacture new rockets capable of sending heavier satellites into space.

President Ahmadinejad told a gathering of Iranian expatriates on Tuesday that Iran planned to build rockets with a range of 700 to 1500 kilometers to send bigger satellites into space.

In February, Iran placed into orbit its first indigenous telecommunications satellite Omid (Hope) designed to transmit data via two frequency bands and eight antennas to an Iranian space station.

The satellite was sent into space by Iran's domestically built satellite carrier Safir 2 which is an upgraded model of carrier Safir 1.

The satellite completed its mission in March after orbiting the Earth more than 700 times in seven weeks.

Just days after the satellite was put into orbit, Iran announced a 12-year project to send astronauts to space. Tehran also said it was constructing seven more satellites.