Iran’s Aerospace Research Centre have announced they will launch the third Kavoshgar research rocket into space by March 2010.

The rocket is capable of reaching altitudes of 50km to 150km.

Iran intends to place a series of satellites in space by 2010 to aid natural disaster management programmes and improve telecommunications.

In February 2009, Iran launched its first home grown satellite, the Omid, on a Safir-2 rocket.

The US and France, however, have expressed concern in the past that Iran might be developing its nuclear programme under the façade of the research rocket programme.

Iran maintains that the programmes are meant for peaceful purposes.