Russian rocket puts Iranian satellite into orbit

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MOSCOW: A Russian rocket on Thursday successfully put an Iranian satellite into orbit, a launch that underlined increasingly close cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.

Russia’s state-run Roscosmos corporation said a Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Vostochny launch facility in the country’s far east to carry the Iranian satellite and 18 Russian satellites into orbit.

The Iranian state TV said the 110-kg (242-pound) satellite has three cameras to take images for environmental, agricultural and other purposes.