Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 30 august 2019
Satellite photos show burning Iran space center launch pad

By JON GAMBRELL Iranian satellite launches
Associated Press had been anticipated be-
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- fore the end of the year.
ates (AP) — A rocket at an In July, Iran's Information
Iranian space center that and Communications
was to conduct a satellite Technology Minister Mo-
launch criticized by the U.S. hammad Javad Azari Jah-
apparently exploded on its romi told the AP that Teh-
launch pad Thursday, satel- ran planned three more
lite images show, suggest- launches this year, two for
ing the Islamic Republic suf- satellites that do remote-
fered its third failed launch sensing work and another
this year alone. that handles communica-
State media and officials tions.
did not immediately ac- The Nahid-1 is reportedly
knowledge the incident at the telecommunication
the Imam Khomeini Space satellite, which authorities
Center in Iran's Semnan plan to have in orbit for
province. two-and-a-half months.
However, satellite images Nahid in Farsi means "Ve-
by Planet Labs Inc. showed nus." The satellite, which
a black plume of smoke ris- had Iran's first foldable solar
ing above a launch pad panels, was supposed to
there, with what appeared be in a low orbit around the
to be the charred remains Earth for some two-and-a-
of a rocket and its launch half months.
stand. In previous days, sat- This satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows a fire at a rocket launch pad at the Imam The semi-official Mehr news
ellite images had shown of- Khomeini Space Center in Iran's Semnan province, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. agency quoted Jahromi
ficials there repainted the Associated Press on Aug. 13 as saying that
launch pad blue. the Nahid-1 was ready to
On Thursday morning, half ler, a senior research as- ther exploded during igni- parked nearby. be delivered to Iran's De-
of that paint apparently sociate at the Middlebury tion or possibly briefly lifted NPR first reported on the fense Ministry, signaling a
had been burned away. Institute of International off before crashing back satellite images of the ap- launch date for the satellite
"Whatever happened Studies. down on the pad. Water parent failed launch at likely loomed. Iran's Nation-
there, it blew up and you're Schmerler told The Associ- runoff from the pad, likely the space center, some al Week of Government,
looking at the smoldering ated Press that the images from trying to extinguish the 240 kilometers (150 miles) during which Tehran often
remains of what used to be of the space center sug- blaze, could be seen along southeast of Iran's capital, inaugurates new projects,
there," said David Schmer- gested that the rocket ei- with a host of vehicles Tehran. began Aug. 24.q

Syrian army presses on in Idlib

province as death toll rises

dia said troops captured
three small villages in the
area, as they continued
their assault with the next
target appearing to be the
rebel-held town of Maaret
al-Numan, which lies near
the Damascus-Aleppo
highway.
Last week, the troops cap-
tured the town of Khan
Sheikhoun, which also sits
on the highway.
Idlib is the Syrian opposi-
tion's final stronghold in
the country, and Presi-
This photo released Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 by the opposi- dent Bashar Assad's forces,
tion Syrian Civil Defense rescue group, shows a man looking at
burning cars after airstrikes hit the northern town of Maaret al- backed by Russia, are de-
Numan, in Idlib province, Syria. termined to recapture it. For
Associated Press now, their main aim is to re-
open the M5 highway and
By ZEINA KARAM southeastern edges of the they have been pounding
Associated Press province on Thursday as towns and villages that lie
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian gov- the overall civilian death near that route. Opening
ernment forces pressed toll from the campaign the highway would cut the
ahead with their military rose further. trip between the country's
offensive in Idlib, seizing a The government-controlled two largest cities by two
cluster of villages on the Syrian Central Military Me- hours.q