Iran has launched its first satellite into orbit, according to Iranian news reports. The reported launch of the satellite "Omid," which means 'Hope', on Monday night coincides with the 30th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution. Iranian state television showed footage of a rocket blasting off and lighting up the night sky, Reuters.com reported. "Dear Iranian nation, your children have placed the first indigenous satellite into orbit," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly said on TV. "With God's help and the desire for justice and peace, the official presence of the Islamic Republic was registered in space," he said. The Omid intended to test telecommunications equipment, state TV said, adding that it was "another achievement for Iranian scientists under sanctions." Monday's launch comes a day before a meeting by Western powers on Iran in Frankfurt, Reuters.com reported. Envoys from the United States, Russia, Britain, France, Germany and China are due to meet on Wednesday to discuss Iran's nuclear program.
