IRGC Aerospace Commander: Iran Plans to Orbit Another Satellite on Back of New Carrier

Brigadier General Hajizadeh made the announcement on the sidelines of the 12th Malek Ashtar Festival in Tehran on Sunday. 

He stated the new home-grown satellite will be launched into space using the country’s Qa’em satellite carrier.

“By God’s will, we will launch the new satellite carrier Qa’em into space by the year-end,” Hajizadeh added, hailing it as a “continuation of [the country’s] achievements” in the field of aerospace technology.

The top commander noted that the enemy today admits to Iran’s military capabilities while asserting that the Islamic Republic, its armed forces, and the IRGC have a “valuable position and real superiority”.

In early June, the Iranian Space Agency announced that work has been underway to prepare seven more satellites for launch into the orbit.

Iran to Send Another Satellite into Orbit within Monthshttps://t.co/oCnYro6X40 pic.twitter.com/5CmBJpvsDU— Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) July 23, 2022

In his remarks on Sunday, Hajizadeh said “thousands of” young elites are contributing to Iran’s aerospace field.

The country’s enemies themselves are today acknowledging its development in the aerospace and air defense areas, he added.

The senior commander cited remarks made by the Head of the US Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie last year when he admitted that Iran’s use of drones meant that the US was operating without complete air superiority for the first time since the Korean War.

“They (the enemies) say [Iran’s] aerospace, drone, and missile programs are even more important than its nuclear [work],” Hajizadeh stressed.

“The enemy admits that its [policy of] ‘maximum pressure’ and its [imposition of] crippling sanctions have been faced with ignominious defeat,” he continued.

The IRGC Aerospace commander said Iran is the leader in developing surface-to-air missiles based on UAVs, adding that the country owes its progress to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s “prudence”.

“If today the enemies are worried about this power and are calling for negotiations and are looking for a resolution in the Congress to contain Iran, all this is the result of the implementation of these measures,” Hajizadeh asserted.

It is the third military satellite Iran will put into orbit.

The IRGC Aerospace Force successfully launched a reconnaissance satellite named ‘Nour-2’ into the orbit in March. ‘Nour-2’ satellite was sent to the space on the back of the home-built launcher Qassed (messenger) and was placed into the orbit at an altitude of 500 km.

‘Nour-1’, the first military satellite of Iran, was successfully launched and put into orbit by the Qassed carrier in April 2020. It was placed into the orbit at an altitude of 425km. Later, the IRGC Aerospace Force released images taken by Nour-1, showing Al-Udeid base in Qatar, which hosts thousands of American forces.

Back in March, Hajizadeh stressed that the country should access all aspects of space technology in various cultural, scientific, economic and defense fields.