ROME, November 11 (RIA Novosti) - Italy's foreign ministry has dismissed media reports about the country's participation in the Iranian project to launch a low orbiting research satellite, the ANSA news agency has said.

Gen. Mahdi Farahi, the head of Iran's Aero Space Industries told the Mehr News Agency on Tuesday that Italy would cooperate with Aerospace Industries Organization to send the 63.5-kg Mesbah (Lantern) satellite into space in 2011.

A spokesman for the Italian foreign ministry dismissed "any assistance from Italy to Iran in orbiting the satellite."

The satellite, with a lifespan of three years can gather information from various parts of the planet and transmit it back to Earth. Israeli media have said the satellite will be used for spying purposes.

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