MOSCOW, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - Iran will launch a low orbiting research satellite in cooperation with an Italian company in 2011, Iranian media reported on Tuesday.

The Mesbah (Lantern) satellite will weigh 63.5 kilograms.

Mehr News Agency quoted Gen. Mahdi Farahi, the head of Iran's Aero Space Industries, as saying: "Italy will cooperate with Aerospace Industries Organization to send Mesbah into space. We hope the launch will be carried out successfully in 2011."

"The completion of the semi-domestic research satellite Mesbah is another recent achievement of Iranian aerospace experts," he said.

The satellite, with a lifespan of three years, "is equipped with a store and forward communications receiver that can gather information from various parts of the planet and transmit it back to Earth."

Iran had earlier planned to use Russia for the satellite's launch. The project was started in 1977, but abandoned and restarted in 1996.

Israeli media have said the satellite will be used for spying purposes.