Iran Says It Launched Suborbital Rocket Into Space - New York Times

Iran Says It Launched Suborbital Rocket Into Space - New York Times: "Iran Says It Launched Suborbital Rocket Into Space
By NAZILA FATHI

TEHRAN, Feb. 25 — Iran announced Sunday that it had launched a research rocket that attained a suborbital altitude, a test that appeared to move it closer toward its aim of putting its own satellites into space.

Initially, the director of the Aerospace Research Center, Mohsen Bahrami, was quoted by the Iranian Student News Agency on Saturday as saying that the rocket, carrying a research cargo, “was launched successfully into space.” But he did not disclose any information about the altitude the rocket reached or when it was launched. The state television also reported the news on Sunday.

Ali Akbar Golrou, another official at the center, told the Fars News Agency on Sunday that the rocket was a so-called sounding rocket carrying atmosphere-testing equipment that rose 94 miles before falling back to earth by parachute, he said.

“The rocket was launched only for scientific and research purposes,” Mr. Golrou was quoted as saying. “Some of the news agencies have reported that a missile has been launched into space, which is false,” he said, referring to earlier reports that the launching might have been a"