Iran to Develop Satellite Carrier for Geostationary Orbit Launch
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran will, within the next three years, develop an advanced satellite carrier that will put satellites into the geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometers above Earth, a military commander said.
In comments on Saturday, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Force’s Space Division General Ali Jafarabadi hailed the successful launch of the homegrown ‘Soraya’ satellite, which was sent into a low Earth orbit (LEO) with the ‘Qaem-100’ satellite carrier earlier in the day.
The IRGC Aerospace Force successfully put Soraya into an orbit 750 kilometers above Earth in 11 minutes with Qaem-100, a three-stage satellite carrier running on solid fuel.
General Jafarabadi said while the Qaem-100 satellite carrier has come into service for the cycle of operation, the IRGC will conduct the test launch of ‘Qaem-105’ next year.
Within the next three years, Iran will test launch the ‘Qaem-120’ satellite carrier, which is planned to send satellites into an orbit 36,000 kilometers above Earth, he stated.
The general noted that Iran has the technical know-how to manufacture complicated solid-fuel engines that are at the cutting edge of science, saying the homegrown engines contain composite materials that withstand very high temperatures and pressures and are equipped with precision-guided nozzles.
The IRGC launched the first Iranian military satellite, Noor-I, in April 2020, and Noor-II in March 2022.
They were sent into orbit by the Qassed satellite carrier, designed and manufactured by the IRGC Aerospace Force.