Iran to Orbit Zafar Satellite in September

“The IUST is finalizing its third satellite and most possibly, based on the timetable scheduled by our colleagues at the Center for Satellite Research, we will send it into the orbit in September,” Zakeri told FNA on Saturday.

He explained that 90% of the equipment used in Zafar satellite have been made by Iranian experts.

Iran launched its first satellite, called the Omid (Hope), in February 2009. The Rasad (Observation) satellite was also sent into orbit in June 2011.

In February 2012, Iran successfully put its third domestically manufactured satellite, named the Navid (Promise), into orbit. On February 8, 2012, Iran received the first image sent by the Navid satellite.

Head of Iran’s Space Research Center Hossein Samimi announced last Sunday that the country’s experts have ended work on the home-made ‘Nahid 1’ telecommunication satellite, adding that a new sensing satellite named ‘Pars 1’ would be manufactured by the end of this Iranian year (March 19).

“At present, production of Nahid 1 telecommunication satellite has ended and it is now in the final phase before it is sent for the launcher,” Samimi said in Tehran.

He added that manufacturing of Pars 1 sensing satellite will also end by the yearend, noting that designing of the engineering model of Nahid 2 telecommunication satellite’s propulsion system has also been accomplished and the satellite will soon go for manufacturing.

Late in July, Iranian Communication and IT Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi announced that the country’s newly-developed satellite ‘Nahid’ had undergone final tests and would be prepared for launch soon.

“The space research centers have accomplished their task on the satellite and related final tests have been carried out, and the satellite could be delivered to the defense ministry within the next one to two weeks to be launched into the orbit,” Azari Jahromi told reporters in Tehran after a cabinet meeting.

He added that the problems observed in the last two failed satellite launches of Iran have been resolved, and further expressed hope for a successful launch of Nahid into the orbit.