Iran ready for simultaneous launch of 3 remote-sensing satellites: Space chief

Hassan Salarieh, speaking at the second Media Hope Cup in Tehran, declared the imminent launch of the three satellites—Zafar 2, Payam, and the second model of the Kowsar satellite.

The satellites will provide numerous services in the fields of agriculture, natural resources, environmental monitoring, and water resources, Salarieh said.

Providing a historical overview, the space chief said that Iran's space industry began in earnest after the imposed war (the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war), parallel with the growth of the missile industry.

With the development of launchers, the Iranian Space Agency was established in the mid-2000s to manage and policy-make for the country's space sector.

He pointed to the successful launch of the Omid (Hope) satellite in 2008 as a milestone in Iran's space progress.

Salarieh also highlighted the role of academic projects in the nation's space endeavors, noting that satellites from the Fajr, Payam, Navid, Zafar, Rasad series, among others, are the products of activities at prestigious universities in the country.

The country is now manufacturing satellites with a precision of one to five meters, he added.

The official further announced that the Chabahar Space Center, a key launch site in the West Asian region, will see its first experimental launch this year.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Salarieh said that through the determination of domestic specialists, Iran is on the path to joining the world's top countries in the space industry.

He noted that programs to enhance the precision of satellites and the capacity of launchers are being vigorously pursued.