Iran to Send Homegrown Satellite into Space Soon
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Affairs Sorena Sattari announced on Sunday that the country plans to launch a domestically-made satellite into space in the next few days.
“Within the next few days, we will have a satellite launch,” Sattari told reporters at a press conference in Tehran on Sunday.
He refused to give further details on the satellite, saying that those involved in the project should have the honor to explain it.
Iran has in recent years made great headways in manufacturing satellites thanks to the efforts made by its local scientists.
The country successfully launched its first indigenous data-processing satellite, Omid (Hope), into orbit back in 2009.
As part of a comprehensive plan to develop its space program, Iran also successfully launched its second satellite, dubbed Rassad (Observation), into the earth's orbit in June 2011. Rassad's mission was to take images of the earth and transmit them along with telemetry information to ground stations.
The country launched its domestically-built Navid-e Elm-o Sanat (Harbinger of Science and Industry) satellite into orbit in February 2012.
In January 2013, Iran sent a monkey into space aboard an indigenous bio-capsule code-named Pishgam (Pioneer).
And later in December 2013, the country’s scientists could successfully send a monkey, called ‘Fargam’ or Auspicious, into space aboard Pajoheshan (Research) indigenous rocket and return the live simian back to earth safely.