governments and the United States are likely to feel threatened by Iran’s scientific progress. That’s natural. But we will do our job.” The US will indeed take such a launch as a threat since it will mean Iran is moving further down a path to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the United States. Geosynchronous orbit is a spot in the sky 35,786 kilometers above the earth where a satellite will orbit the earth at the same speed at which the earth turns. Thus, the satellite will remain perpetually above the same spot on earth, which is essential for a communications satellite. (Low orbiting satellites circle the earth in 90 minutes and are thus over the same area for mere minutes at a time.) To loft a satellite to 35,786 kilometers will take a rocket much more powerful than Iran now has. An Iranian satellite has never orbited higher than 500 kilometers. Jafari said the needed rocket was now being developed. He said, “I don’t think that except for two or three countries and Iran, any other country would be capable of sending satellites into geosynchronous orbit.” Actually, five countries have done that: the United States, Russia, France, China and India.