On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran announced it launched a military satellite, called Noor, into orbit for the first time. This launch also revealed for the first time a new space launch vehicle (SLV) called the Qased, launched from a transport erector launcher. The Qased is reported to be a three stage missile, using both liquid fuel and solid fuel in different stages. Iran has claimed the Noor satellite reached an orbit of 425 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
On Thursday, tensions continued to escalate between the U.S. and Iran in the Persian Gulf. U.S. President Trump and the Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) traded threats to target each other’s ships operating in the region. This comes after 11 IRGC gunboats carried out “dangerous and harassing approaches” to U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels operating in Persian Gulf waters the previous week. Earlier in the week, the IRGC also claimed to have upgraded many of its anti-ship missile capabilities with ranges extended to 700 kilometers.
On Friday, the Missile Defense Agency released its request for proposals for the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI). The proposals are due July 31, though there might be some delays due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. From the proposals, two companies will be selected to compete for the final contract to build the interceptor, which MDA plans to deploy as early as 2028.
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