Iran to launch domestically-built Pars 1 research satellite into orbit

Iran’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Issa Zarepour has announced that the homegrown Pars 1 research satellite is set to be launched into space on Thursday.  

Zarepour made the announcement on Wednesday, noting that in order to develop international interactions, this satellite will be launched into orbit aboard the Russian rocket Soyuz.

“The Pars 1 imaging satellite, which is 100% Iranian and built by domestic knowledge-based companies, will be put into orbit tomorrow,” he said.

Pars 1 is a research-measurement satellite whose design, construction, assembly and testing stages were carried out by experts and young scientists at the Iran Space Research Institute and it will be placed into the orbit at a distance of 500 kilometers from the Earth’s surface.

Last month, Iran successfully put into orbit three homegrown satellites with a minimum altitude of 450 kilometers and a maximum of 1,100 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

Mahda, Keyhan-2 and Hatef-1 satellites were launched from Imam Khomeini Space Launch Terminal in Semnan Province on January 28 by the Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite launch vehicle, which is manufactured by the Iranian Defense Ministry.

In the same month, the Aerospace Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched Soraya satellite into orbit using Qaem 100 satellite carrier.

The launch was an important step towards increasing the capability of sending satellites into higher orbits.

Despite sanctions imposed by Western countries in recent years, Iran has taken giant strides in the civilian space program.

Iran is among the world’s top 10 countries capable of developing and launching satellites.