Iran’s first space innovation center was launched in Tehran to increase support for tech firms and startups working on space technologies and their commercialization.
Sharif University of Technology and Iran Space Agency have set up the center, Mehr News Agency reported.
On Monday, Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari, Information and Communications Technologies Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi and a board member of the university, Rouhollah Dehqani, attended the official inauguration of the center.
Hossein Samimi, the head of Iranian Space Research Center, and Morteza Barari, the head of Iran Space Agency, were also present at the inauguration.
Speaking at the event, Dehqani said the innovation center is mandated to identify technological gaps in the space industry and address them by supporting smart solutions pitched by tech teams and startups.
“The center is also set to align the human and financial resources with the space industry, to benefit both sides. Space authorities have realized that startups and knowledge-based companies can complement the sector with innovation,” he said.
Dehqani said the officials need to prepare the ground to transfer the industry’s data, regulations, standards and technical experiences to the tech ecosystem, hoping that the innovation center will be of great help.
“Space technology today embraces a wide range of fields, such as food, security, environment, weather, water and remote sensing. By utilizing the innovation center, Iran can progress in the field by nurturing fledgling knowledge-based teams,” he added.
The construction of the center began early this year (March 2020). With 20 shared working spaces, the center can accommodate eight knowledge-based companies and over 10 startups.
Workspace will be allocated to novice tech teams based on the size, volume of tools required and the nature of their work.
Startups can benefit from mentoring services, databases, laboratories and training sessions to gradually commercialize their businesses.
*** Satellites
Efforts for promoting the application of space sciences have so far led to the successful design of satellites.
Iran successfully launched a remote-sensing satellite, Navid, in 2012. The experimental Earth observation satellite was developed by Iran University of Science and Technology researchers.
The satellite, which took high-resolution images of the Earth, could be used for observing natural phenomena.
It was placed into orbit by Iran’s Safir carrier rocket on Feb. 3, 2012. After flying 250 kilometers above the Earth for almost two months, Navid reentered the atmosphere on April 1, 2012.
Barari said, “In 2019, we tried to put the satellite Payam into orbit, 500 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. However, due to certain complications, including a sharp surge in temperature [during the launch], the mission did not succeed.”
He noted that another satellite, Dousti, was also launched in the same year without success.
Barari believes that every step Iran takes toward developing space technologies will provide local scientists with invaluable insight.
“After two launches, a committee was set up to determine the shortcomings of those projects. All those problems have been resolved,” he said.
Dousti (meaning friendship in Persian) was a locally-made micro-class 52-kg satellite that was put into orbit at an altitude of 250-310 km. It reportedly had a spatial resolution of 10 meters.
Payam (meaning message in Persian), a micro-class 100-kg non-military satellite, was to orbit about 500-600 km above the Earth's surface and perform imagery and telecom tasks.
In February 2020, ISA announced that Iran will launch two remote sensing and two communications satellites by March 2021.
*** Open Data Approach
Over the past years, the government of President Hassan Rouhani has been promoting an open data approach to gather information from state agencies.
According to the ICT minister, if the open data approach is extended to space science and if the satellite imagery data gathered by the government is shared with private entities, companies can help farmers with counseling services.
With the help of valuable and precise information, farmers can be enabled to make data-driven decisions. For instance, they can pick the best crop(s) based on ecological forecasts.
Iran is among the countries long struggling with water crisis. Space sciences and remote sensing can be employed for the better management of dwindling water reserves and other natural resources.
“The environment and natural resources are common heritage of mankind. Space sciences can help us preserve this shared wealth,” Jahromi said.
***Golestan National Park
Remote sensing and natural reserves protection are other applications of space technologies, which have gained momentum in the past few years.
For instance, an agreement was signed between the ICT Ministry and the Department of Environment last year, based on which a project was launched in Golestan National Park to equip the globally acclaimed natural reserve in northeast Iran with smart fire alarm systems.
Satellite imagery, remote sensing and the internet of things are to be used by the system.
It is a pilot project that was to be implemented in other natural reserves, if it produced the desired result.
