Iran Plans to Launch First Bio-Space Capsule in Current Year


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Head of Iran’s Space Agency Hassan Salariyeh revealed plans for the country’s inaugural launch of a bio-space capsule, scheduled for the upcoming months.

Salariyeh unveiled this initiative during a press conference held at the Iranian Space Agency headquarters on Wednesday, marking World Space Week.

"We are making strides in space biology," he emphasized, as he noted a hiatus in bio-space capsule launches over the past months.

He also highlighted that ongoing projects align with Iran's decade-long plan, stating, "In satellite design and production, work on Pars 2 and 3 observation satellites has commenced in collaboration with the Space Research Institute."

Salariyeh revealed that the construction of Pars 2 observation satellite has already started, and the conceptual designs for Pars 3 are complete.

"Our nation's capabilities in microsatellite design and production have achieved higher precision levels. The Nahid-2 telecommunication satellite serves as a successful example of this qualitative achievement," he added.

Furthermore, he said that this project will enable Iran to possess observation radar satellites.

Salariyeh added that satellites such as Pars 1 and Tolo 3 are optical observation satellites, and their performance is affected in cloudy weather and dusty conditions. However, radar satellites can collect data even in cloudy weather, he said. 

"A consortium comprising private sector entities and the Iran Electronics Industries has been formed to establish international space launch infrastructure. This facility, capable of launching at various orbital inclinations, initiated its first phase last year," Salariyeh stressed.

He predicted that Iran's Space Agency would be able to provide services by the middle of next year and that Chabahar would be critical in assisting Iran in achieving Sun-synchronous orbit for its satellite systems.

According to the head of the Iranian Space Agency, the first step toward reaching a 36,000-kilometer orbit has been taken, with the completion of the Serir launcher's construction and initial tests, and the manufacturing process beginning.