Ahmadinejad opens first space monitoring and surveillance center
Iran’s president has opened the country’s first space monitoring and surveillance center.
In the opening ceremony of the center, named after Imam Sadeq (as), Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, Defense Minister also attended. Vahidi, who was talking to reporters, congratulated the religious festivities of Rajab. “ in line with the realization of providing space security and country’s space systems, we need to monitor all heavenly bodies passing our airspace regularly,” Vahidi added and that “ data provided by space surveillance systems not only is used for our own satellites’ guiding, but also it would be useful for monitoring orbital traffic for countries having the technology.”
“Currently, international conventions coordinate the exchange and sharing of surveillance data. Sharing such data provides the opportunity for us to be online in the network and use the data from other surveillance systems worldwide,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi pointed out that Imam Sadeq (as) space monitoring and surveillance center had been intended for discovery, detection, exploration, and surveillance of heavenly bodies. “Radar, electro-optic, and radio surveillance are three modes of exploration and detection of these bodies,” he said, adding that “all data from surveillance is transferred to command line of the center, collected, classified, and the process of exploration and detection is launched.”
Vahidi pointed to different specialties and complexities inherent in the construction of the center. “With the center opened, space technology chain is completed for Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said.
Vahdi also expressed his gratitude to scientists, management and experts of Electronic Industries Co. in Ministry of Defense for their hard work in establishment of such a center in inclement climatic conditions. “Sa Iran played a crucial role as a weighty company in developing electronic and electro-optic devices,” he added.
Vahidi assessed the launching of the center as an unforgettable ‘epic’ in space technology for the country. “In the year of political and economic epic, the epic creators also have presented the Iranian people with such a bright achievement in line with the Supreme Leader’s guidelines,” he said.
Defense Minister congratulated the great achievement to the Supreme Leader, Iranian ‘honorable’ people, and space technology scientists. “We got other valuable achievements in space technology which would be communicated to Iranians very soon,” he said.
