Iran said it launched its first domestically made satellite into orbit on Tuesday, boasting major progress in its space technology when tension with the West over its nuclear ambitions persists. The research satellite is called Omid (Hope). On the other hand, the Egyptian space project faces a crisis after most of the Egyptian researchers escaped to Arab and foreign countries. This has disrupted the launch of the second Egyptian satellite "Egypt SAT-2", and blocked the use of satellite "Egypt SAT-1", which created by Ukraine. In Cairo, a senior official with the Egyptian space project said the project is currently in urgent need of a personal intervention from President Mubarak, after the project received "blows below the belt" from senior ministers. Speaking to Al-Masry Al-Youm, the official said 30 experts, out of 60, left the project and traveled to Gulf and Western states after receiving advanced training in Ukraine. "I and the project's other scientists suffer disguised unemployment. Although "Egypt SAT" will expire within three years, the plans of launching "Egypt Sat 2" have been come to a halt," he said.
