Iran Claims They've Built A 'Flying Saucer'
The picture shown above accompanied the release
An official state-run Iranian news agency claims that the country has created the world's first 'flying saucer.'
In the official announcement on Fars' website, the news agency claimed the craft was unveiled to Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamene in a special ceremony last week. The unmanned craft is aparently intended largely for aerial imaging.
The saucer, named "Zohal" (which translates to "Saturn" in Persian) is reportedly part of a "new generation of vertical flyers," according to the Daily Mail.
From the original release:
Zohal, designed and developed jointly by Farnas Aerospace Company and Iranian Aviation and Space Industries Association (IASIA), can be used for various missions, specially for aerial imaging.
The flying machine is equipped with an auto-pilot system, GPS (Global Positioning System) and two separate imaging systems with full HD 10 mega-pixel picture quality and is able to take and send images simultaneously.
Zohal uses a small, portable navigation and monitoring center for transmission of data and images and can fly in both outdoor and indoor spaces.
The picture shown above accompanied the release, though it does not state that it's an actual picture of the machine. PopSci suggests that this alternate release, issued by the Iranian Students' News Agency has a more accurate depiction of the craft.
