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The Space Review: essays and commentary about the final frontier

The Space Review: essays and commentary about the final frontier

From the sand to the stars: Saddam Hussein’s failed space program

The Space Review: essays and commentary about the final frontier
Summary
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84% Informative

On December 5, 1989 , Iraq launched a 25-meter -long rocket from a launch pad 230 kilometers southwest of Baghdad .

The CIA determined that this was not a prototype ballistic missile: it was large and ungainly.

The research center started the Al-Ta’ir project, which means “The Bird” in Arabic , which translates as “flying eagle”.

UNMOVIC report: Iraq began developing its own rocket to launch the Al-Ta’ir satellite.

The project was carried out under the overall direction of the Ministry of Industry and Military Industrialization .

In December 1989 , the Iraqis conducted their first test launch of the Al Abid from a fixed launch site at Al Anbar .

Iraq had secretly restarted its atomic weapons program in 1987 .

In April 1989 , Iraq started work on Project S-13 , the development of a long-range nuclear-tipped missile.

Western intelligence agencies strongly suspected that Iraq was actively interested in developing atomic weapons and delivery systems for them.

VR Score

84

Informative language

82

Neutral language

62

Article tone

formal

Language

English

Language complexity

63

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

medium-lived

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