TEHRAN - Iran plans to launch a new satellite called Rasad 1 (Observation 1) in the last week of August, Telecommunication Minister Reza Taghipour said on Wednesday.

“Rasad 1 satellite is expected to be launched into space on the back of a domestic carrier during the period marking the government week (last week of August),” Taghipour told the Mehr News Agency.
The launch of the Rasad 1 would mark Iranian “newest achievement” in space technology, the minister said.
Taqhipour had previously said that new satellites capable of transmitting data and images would be launched by March 2011.
“The launch of other Iranian satellites including Tollou (Dawn) satellite is on the agenda which their news will be announced soon by the country’s Space Organization.”
Iran in February revealed details of three new satellite prototypes -- the Toloo (Dawn), Navid (Good News) and Mesbah-2 (Lantern), the last said to be a telecommunications satellite.
Iran launched its first domestically-manufactured satellite Omid in February 2009, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution