Iran to send astronaut to space by 2015

The Head of Iran’s Aerospace Research Institute, Space Agency, says Iran will send its first astronaut by 2015.
Speaking in the closing ceremony of Aerospace Systems Competition, Mohammed Ebrahimi assessed sending astronaut to space as one of the Agency’s important projects.

“In the second phase, this project will send first Iranian astronaut to suborbital space, and sending the astronaut to orbital space and returning him back in full health,” he said.

He asserted that to achieve this, the Institute would need to developments in 10 technology strands. “A strategic action plan should also be developed,” he added.

Ebrahimi also pointed to the Agency’s programs in the first phase, saying that “in the first phase, 2 trained Iranian astronauts will be send to suborbital space in 200Km altitude for 15 to 30 minutes.” “After this phase, launching astronauts to orbital space would be possible,” he said, “to enter this stage; much work should be done to prepare the grounds.”

Ebrahimi pointed to steps to send astronauts to space, saying that “currently, US, Russia, and China, which are world’s aerospace giants, are working on bio-capsules to send man to space.” “To send astronauts to space, we need 10 technology strands such as propellants, power production, robotic constructs, information technology and communications, bio-recognition, exploration and operations, simulation, and entry to space,” Ebrahimi said.

Commenting on the Agency’s future plans, Ebrahimi said that Iran would send its first astronauts by 2016 to 2018 to suborbital space and return him back.