Iran’s Private Sector Satellites Kowsar, Hodhod Set for Russian Launch
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Two Iranian satellites, developed by a private sector company, have been sent to Russia for launch into orbit.
The satellites "Kowsar" and "Hodhod," built by an Iranian private knowledge-based company, were dispatched to Russia on Friday, October 11, for launch into Earth's orbit.
The launch of these satellites is considered a major milestone in the history of Iran’s space industry as it signifies the first substantial effort by the country’s private space sector.
The "Kowsar" satellite is designed for precision agriculture and mapping, while "Hodhod" is an Internet of Things (IoT) communications satellite.
The development of Kowsar, a high-resolution remote sensing satellite, began in 2019.
Hodhod, which applies advanced technologies from Kowsar, was designed and built within a year.
A team of young Iranian engineers, with an average age of 25, led the project at a private Iranian tech firm.
Kowsar is a high-resolution imaging satellite aimed at applications such as agriculture, natural resource management, environmental monitoring, and disaster management.
Hodhod, a small communications satellite, is designed for satellite-based communication networks and IoT, providing services in remote areas with limited access to terrestrial networks.
The launch of these satellites is expected to significantly advance Iran's self-sufficiency in space technology, create jobs, and raise the country's global standing in the space industry.
Before the satellites were shipped, Hassan Salarieh, head of the Iranian Space Agency, visited the company to inspect the final stages of preparation.
Originally, the launch was scheduled for 2023 but it was delayed.
Omid Faza Company CEO Hossein Shahrabi Farahani told Tasnim in November that the delay was caused by changes in the main payload of the Soyuz launcher.
"The main payload of the Soyuz changed, and the launch of all secondary payloads, including the Iranian satellites, had to be postponed accordingly," Shahrabi said.
In another interview, Shahrabi explained that his company initially aimed to attract investors to develop communication constellations but faced challenges convincing investors of the economic viability.
"We had to change our strategy and focus on remote sensing satellites," he said.
Remote sensing technology shares around 80% of the same technology with communication satellites but can attract customers with a single satellite, reducing costs.
Shahrabi said his company formed a consortium with three other knowledge-based firms to build the satellites.
Construction of the Kowsar satellite began in 2019, followed by Hodhod, which was completed within one year, based on the experience gained from Kowsar.