Iran has successfully launched an observation satellite, Iranian news network Press TV reported on Friday.

The domestically-built Navid (Harbinger) satellite is designed to take pictures of the Earth at low altitudes of 250 to 370 kilometers.

Press TV hailed it as the “first satellite to be completely designed and built by Iranian experts.”

The 50-kilogram (110-pound) satellite is meant to stay in orbit for 18 months, sending back images to Iran as it completes a revolution of Earth every 90 minutes. It was unveiled two years ago and its launch had long been expected.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led the launch ceremony, media said.

"It's the beginning of an immense labour... which holds the promise of friendship for all mankind," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.

Iran's defence minister, Ahmad Vahidi, said the Navid satellite would beam its images to several ground stations across the country, according to media.

"The telemetric and command stations give and receive data and control the satellite," Vahidi said.

The head of Iran’s Space Agency, Hamid Fazeli, earlier announced plans to establish a “national satellite launch base” in the Islamic republic.

The country launched its first satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009.