News / Defense

Iran successfully launches domestically-built Pars 1 research satellite into space

Thursday, 29 February 2024 8:48 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 29 February 2024 9:52 AM ]

A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage, carrying satellites among them Iranian Pars 1, blasts off from a launchpad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, February 29, 2024. (Via Reuters)

Iran has successfully put into orbit the domestically-built Pars 1 research-sensing satellite.

The 134-kilogram satellite was launched by a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's far eastern Amur region on Thursday.

Equipped with three cameras, Pars 1 will scan Iran's topography from an orbit of 500 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

The satellite is designed and manufactured by experts and young scientists at the Iran Space Research Institute with the cooperation of knowledge-based companies.

It receives data from ground sources in three spectral ranges of visible, short-wave infrared and thermal infrared.

Speaking on television, Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Issa Zarepour said that the satellite will be added to the country's sensing satellites and that its sent images and data will be used for multiple purposes.

Elaborating on the country's space program, he added that Iran has launched 12 satellites into space over the past 25 months.

“The country's space industry is rapidly advancing forward … upgrading its place,” Zarepour said.

Iran building largest launch base in West Asia

Additionally in his remarks, the minister said that Iran is constructing West Asia’s largest launch base in the country’s south.

He also noted that the first satellite launch from the base will be carried out in the next Iranian calendar year (beginning on March 20) or at the latest by the end of President Ebrahim Raeisi’s term.

He pointed out that Iran decided to build the base as the country’s current launch bases do not have the capability of injecting satellites at the right inclination for a sun-synchronous orbit.

Last month, Iran simultaneously put into orbit the Mahda research satellite, as well as the Keyhan-2 and Hatef-1 nanosatellites using the domestically-made Simorgh (Phoenix) carrier.

In the same month, the Aerospace Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched Soraya satellite into orbit using Qaem 100 satellite carrier.

Despite sanctions imposed by Western countries in recent years, Iran has taken giant strides in the civilian space program.

Iran is among the world’s top 10 countries capable of developing and launching satellites.

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