TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran launched a home-made satellite-carrier rocket named Safir (Messenger) late Sunday, arousing western governments' concerns over its purpose.

    Reza Taghipour, head of Iran's space agency, told Iran's English-language Press TV satellite channel on Monday that the Safir launch will pave the way for Iran to send its domestically-built telecommunications satellite, Omid (Hope), into orbit "in the near future."

An image grab from the Arabic-language Iranian TV station Al-Alam shows the launching into space of Iran's Safir Omid rocket, which is capable of carrying a satellite into orbit, an undisclosed location in the Islamic republic. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Safir is Iran's first domestically made satellite carrier, capable of putting lightweight satellites into low earth orbit.

    On Sunday, the official IRNA news agency quoted a statement of the armed forces as saying that the satellite, Omid, was also launched in the day by using Safir satellite-carrier rocket.

    Iran's space agency confirmed to Xinhua on Monday the successfully launch of the domestic rocket carrying a test satellite late Sunday, but said that the country's first domestically built communications satellite, Omid (Hope), has not been launched yet.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2nd R) looks at the Safir (ambassador) satellite-carrier rocket before launch at Iran's space centre in Tehran August 17, 2008.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The launch of Safir rocket is aimed to test remote sensing, satellite telemetry, and geographic information system (GIS) technology as well as remote and ground station data processing, Press TV said.

    Iran has plans to put a "series of satellites" into space by 2010 to aid natural disaster management programs and improve telecommunications, Taghipour added.

    "Sanctions have not isolated us. Instead, we have become more independent," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was present at Iran's space center Sunday was quoted by Press TV as saying.

The Safir (ambassador) satellite-carrier rocket, which will carry Iran's Omid (hope) satellite, is seen before launch at Iran's space centre in Tehran August 17, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar Monday hailed the launch of the Safir (Messenger) satellite-carrier rocket as a triumph in scientific and technological progress.

    "Iranian scientists are always reaching new peaks in scientific and technological progress," Mohammad-Najjar told Press TV.

    "The successful launch of Safir shows that Iran has access to the ultra-modern technology required to manufacture, launch and track satellites as well as transmit and receive information from them," he said.

    Iran's satellite carrier launch has aroused the West's concerns that Iran is developing long-range ballistic missile technology which can be used to launch nuclear weapons.

    White House Spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Sunday that the Iranian development and testing of rockets "is troubling and raises further questions about their intentions."

    In response, the defense minister on Monday also criticized Western governments' reactions to his country's scientific breakthrough, the official IRNA news agency said.

    "Enemies of the Iranian nation have not spared any efforts to portray Iran's scientific, technical and peaceful achievements as a military success," he said.

    "However, the awakening and justice-seeking conscience of world nations know the reality," he added.

    He considered the satellite-carrier rocket as "a precise guided launcher", which "can carry different satellites into the space and put them in pre-planned position," IRNA said.

    All pre-planned goals have been achieved in the launch, he added.

    In February, Iran said it has prepared for the satellite launch by sending a probe into space on the back of a rocket on the mission.

    On Friday, Ahmadinejad announced in an interview in the largest Turkish city of Istanbul that Iran would in the near future launch its first domestically made satellite to the space.

    Iran, embroiled in a standoff with the West over its disputed nuclear program, has pursued a space program for several years.