Despite Iran’s much-publicized satellite launch on Feb. 9 that failed to reach orbit for the third time, Iranian officials have put a positive spin on the endeavor and stressed the country will continue to progress in its space program.
Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi addressed the failure on social media, posting a video on Instagram. “Dear people of Iran. Hello,” began a solemn Jahromi, standing behind a podium in a similar fashion to US presidents making important announcements. “Our third effort to launch a satellite was successful despite the fact that the Zafar satellite did not reach its final destination, which was … space.” He added, “If it did not reach space, then how was it successful? Because every step we take, regardless of its results, makes us one step closer to our desires.”
