Even as anti-government demonstrations flare across the nation, Iran`s formidable paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched a brand-new satellite-carrying rocket to show off the hard-line force`s prowess.

 

The Ghaem 100, Iran’s first three-stage launch vehicle, will be able to place satellites weighing 80 kg (180 pounds) in an orbit 500 km (300 miles) from the earth’s surface

 

AmiraliHajizadeh, the commander of the Guard’s aerospace division, which developed the Ghaem-100, said the rocket would be used to launch Iran’s Nahid satellite for the Telecommunications Ministry.

 

Iran has one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East. The country says its satellite program, like its nuclear activities, is aimed at scientific research and other civilian applications. Over the past decade, Iran has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit and in 2013 launched a monkey into space. The program, however, has had several failed satellite launches in recent years, blamed on technical issues.

 

In a crucial step toward India becoming self-sufficient in rail and metro operations, Bharat Electronics and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of the Indigenous Communication-based Train Control System (i-CBTC).

 

i-CBTC, being indigenously developed for the first time in India, will enable unmanned operations of metro and trains. It is a big leap forward in the field of metro and rail automation and will give a boost to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission of the Government of India. The project is being carried out under the ambit of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India. The MoU aims at leveraging the complementary strengths and capabilities of BEL and DMRC.