Iran to put new satellite into orbit
2 Min Read
Iran is putting another satellite in orbit by the end of the year as the country makes strides in its aerospace program.
-
The Simorgh satellite-carrying rocket at Imam Khomeini National Space Center in an undisclosed location on July 27, 2017 (AP)
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) will put into orbit a new satellite using the Ghaem launcher by the end of the year, IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said on Sunday.
"The IRGC will put new indigenous satellites with Ghaem satellite carrier into orbit in the current year," Hajizadeh said on the sidelines of the IRGC's Malek Ashtar Festival in Tehran on Sunday evening.
The IRGC Aerospace launched its Noor-2 satellite by the domestically-built three-stage rocket propelled by a mix of solid and liquid fuels launcher Qassed (messenger) on March 8, 2022, and it is orbiting Earth at an altitude of 500 km.
Noor-2 was launched for reconnaissance, and it went into orbit 480 seconds after launch at a speed of 6.7 km/s.
It was Tehran's second satellite to orbit Earth, and it is a significant step for the country's military while raising concerns from those who oppose Iran.
The first military satellite, which took off in April 2020, placed the Noor in orbit at an altitude of 425km.
The United States claims that the same long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also allow the Islamic Republic to launch long-range weapons, further alleging that this could include nuclear warheads.
This is not only a major step toward boosting the country's military capabilities, but it is a manifestation of Iran's efforts in combatting the unilateral sanctions imposed by the US after it withdrew from the nuclear deal aimed at reducing Tehran's nuclear activity and offering the Islamic Republic sanction relief.
Earlier in January, the IRGC's Aerospace Force tested out its first solid-fuel space rocket. "The structure of the new missile is made of composite and non-metallic materials, which reduces costs and increases the missile's performance," Hajizadeh said at the time.
