Iran announces tender for first space navigation satellite

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Sep 2023 19:11

The Iranian Space Research Center has announced plans to hold a public tender for the construction and launch of its first space navigation satellite, emphasizing its commitment to advancing its space exploration.

Iranian Simorgh satellite carrier rocket, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021 (AP)

The Iranian Space Research Center (ISRC) is preparing a public tender for the construction of its inaugural space navigation satellite, the Iranian Space Agency reported.

"As a means of supporting the private sector, the Iranian Space Research Center is planning to hold a public tender for the development, construction, and launch into orbit of Research Satellite-1. [The satellite] will be used for research purposes in the field of space navigation," the Iranian government quoted the agency's statement as saying on Telegram.

It was reported earlier this month, that Iran's Space Agency has taken delivery of a domestically produced remote sensing satellite, the "Tolu'-3" (Sunrise-3), scheduled for launch after successfully passing all required tests.

Manufactured by Iran Electronics Industries, a subsidiary of the Iranian Defense Ministry, the satellite weighs over 100 kilograms and offers a 5-meter resolution in panchromatic mode and a 10-meter resolution in multispectral mode for imaging.

The Tolu'-3 satellite will reportedly be placed in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to capture and transmit images for various applications, including agriculture, water resource management, and disaster response. This remote-sensing satellite is now included in Iran's annual satellite launch schedule.