Iran's successful Oct. 20 test launch of an improved, extended-range Shihab-3 ballistic missile is expected to boost Tehran's plans to launch its first satellite, dubbed the Mesbah, sometime next year, according to analysts and missile experts here. While Israeli experts differ in assessments regarding the size, technical characteristics and intended mission of Iran's debut satellite, all concede that a series of recent Shihab test successes — coupled with an unusual amount of official statements on the matter—indicates a high degree of confidence in Tehran's nascent space launch capabilities. Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani characterized the Oct. 20 launch as a success, while former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, in reference to an Aug. 11 test of the same missile, enthused, "Today we have the power to send our missiles up to 2,000 kilometers."
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