Official: 6 Iran-Made Satellites Ready to Launch

“Iran has 6 satellites which are ready to launch,” Barari told FNA.

He added that one of the plans pursued by the ISA next year is to launch satellites every season of the year.

Barari also said that building a new satellite which will be named as ‘Pars’ is also underway and approaching its final stages at the Iran Space Research Center.

In relevant remarks earlier this month, Barari announced that the country’s home-made satellite Zafar had passed the necessary tests and would be launched soon.

“Satellite Zafar, built by Iranian universities’ elites and scientists, will be delivered to the spaceport today and the process to launch it into the orbit will start immediately,” Barari told FNA.

He added that the satellite has passed all its tests and is ready to launch.

“The satellite features include telecommunication, imaging and collecting space signals,” Barari said.

Zafar, a fully sophisticated satellite built at the Iran’s University of Science and Technology, is designed for an 18-month activity plan, weighs about 90 kilograms and is equipped with four color cameras to capture the Earth’s surface with a resolution of 80 meters.

Zafar is similar in size and weight to its previous version- the Payam satellite- but distinct in one way as it can move in circular orbit and send a message alongside its exploratory missions.

In January 2019, the domestically-built Payam (Message) satellite was launched into space with an aim to collect environmental information; however, technical problems that occurred during the final stage of the launch prevented the spacecraft from reaching orbit.

Iran is one of the 9 states building satellites beside the US, Russia, Europe and Canada.

Iran in February 2017 unveiled two new home-made satellites of Nahid 1 and Amir Kabir as well as a space tug built for the first time in the country.

The three space crafts were unveiled in a ceremony participated by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on the occasion of the Space Technology Day in Iran.

Nahid 1 is a telecommunication satellite built in the Iranian Space Research Center.

Payam-e Amir Kabir has been designed and built in Amir Kabir University of Technology and is capable of taking images with a precision better than 40 meters.

Meantime, Saman 1 space tug which has been manufactured for the first time in the country is used to transfer the satellites from Low Earth orbit (LEO) to higher-energy orbits.