Iran Plans To Launch Domestic Satellites In Coming Months

Iran plans to launch five domestically-produced satellites, including an imaging and communication satellite known as Sharif-Sat, or Doosti (meaning “friendship” in Farsi), into Earth’s orbit within the coming year, according to statements made by Iranian government officials.

“A satellite designed by [Iran’s] Sharif University called Sharif-Sat will be launched this year, and another satellite by the Amirkabir University called Payam (“message”) will be launched next year,” the Secretary of the Headquarters for the Implementation of the General Scientific Roadmap, Mansour Kabganian, said at a press conference on October 24, according to TasnimNews.com. Kabganian was referring to the Iranian calendar, which marks March 20, 2018 as the end of the current year, and the date by when Sharif-Sat will be launched.

Kabganian said several satellites – three produced at Iranian universities, and two at Iranian research organizations – are ready to launch. They include Amir Kabir (also known as Payam) and Pars-1, two remote-sensing satellites; Nahid-2, a telecommunication satellite; and Zafar, an imaging microsatellite that will be used to take high-resolution aerial photographs around the globe and is said to have a resolution of 80 m.

The Sharif-Sat imaging and communications satellite will be stationed in Low Earth Orbit. It is equipped with imaging and store tools, including magnetic sensors and actuators, fault tolerant on-board computer, communication transmitters and receivers, antennas, solar panels, camera and image compression engine, heat pipes, and an isogrid structure.

“In general, there are two types of satellites: Remote Sensing and Communications,” explained Hassan Haddadpour, the head of the Iranian Space Research Center, according to Mehr News.

“Remote sensing satellites are equipped with technologies which have become prevalent in the world, within the past 50 years. Countries which enjoy access to these technologies, despite their lack of experience in developing such technologies, have never suffered from sanctions,” Haddadpour explained.

Haddadpour said that if everything goes as planned, Iran will have three remote sensing satellites and one communications satellite in orbit by 2021.

Iran successfully launched its first domestically-produced data-processing satellite, called Omid (“hope”) into orbit in June 2009. Since then, the Caspian country has been launching objects ranging from more satellites, to monkeys, into earth’s orbit.

A bio-capsule containing living creatures was launched using Iran’s Kavoshgar-3 carrier (“explorer”), in February 2010. A second satellite, dubbed Rassad (“observation”), was launched the following year. Rassad’s mission was to take images of the earth and transmit them, along with telemetry information, to ground stations.

The country’s third domestically-built satellite, Navid-e Elm-o Sanat (“harbinger of science and industry”) was sent into orbit in February 2012.

By 2013, Iran had put a monkey into space aboard another bio-capsule, named Pishgam (“pioneer”). Two years later, in 2015, the country had launched its fourth satellite, named Fajr (“dawn”), which was capable of taking and transmitting high quality pictures.

Since then, the Iranian government has been increasing its support for domestic satellite production and its aerospace program, particularly as the economy bounces back from nuclear-related sanctions that started to be lifted in January 2016 as a result of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the ‘nuclear deal’.

On July 27, Iran inaugurated the Imam Khomeini National Space Center, the country’s first fixed launch platform that is being used to develop, launch and control Iranian satellite carriers. The Iranian-made satellite carrier Simorgh (“phoenix”), capable of placing satellites of up to 250 kgs (550 lbs) into orbit at a distance of about 500 km (310 miles), was successfully launched that same day, provoking a reaction from western nations.

A day after the launch, the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement, rebuking Iran’s activity. Some analysts believe that Iran’s ramping-up of its space program is merely cover for ballistic missile production.

“With its latest launch of a Simorgh space launch vehicle on 27 July, Iran has again demonstrated activity inconsistent with UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231,” the statement added.

UN Security Council Resolution 2231 was adopted on July 20, 2015, and implements the JCPOA. It also imposes missile- and arms-related restrictions on Iran, demanding that it not pursue activities related to ballistic missile defense.

Last month Iran announced its readiness to join international space projects, which include those used for optical space observation and data sharing service platforms. It also wants to increase its space security for its monitoring satellites through space bodies like the Asia-Pacific ground-based Optical Satellite Observation System (APOSOS) project.