Designing, manufacturing and launching a domestic telecommunications satellite is the most important item on the Iranian Space Research Center's agenda in the sixth five-year economic development plan (2016-20).
The center aims to produce the first local telecommunications satellite with standard capabilities in cooperation with research centers, universities and knowledge-based companies active in the field.
Hassan Karimi, head of ISRC, said the satellite will be placed in the geostationary orbit via a local satellite launcher, ICT Press reports.
"The research center bears the responsibility of developing and advancing the knowhow to achieve the national vision for the space industry," he said.
"In addition to using domestic launchers to send remote-sensing satellite to higher orbits to produce more accurate images, the center also plans to provide services in agriculture and transportation sectors, map natural resources, screen agricultural crops and forecast natural disasters.”
Over the past three years, the institute has successfully launched measurement satellites and two capsules containing live creatures in collaboration with the Iranian Aerospace Industries Organization and affiliated academic centers.
"Given the large-scale and long-term plans of the Communications and Information Technology Ministry for the space industry, we hope to move forward in space-related fields in the industry's second 10-year Vision plan by launching imaging (remote-sensing), global positioning and navigation satellites that will efficiently put the technology into practice in a number of sectors," he said.
During the first 10-year Vision plan, Iran became the ninth member of the world's space club. It was also introduced as a pioneering country in space industries worldwide on the strength of its achievements in developing and launching domestic satellites and satellite launch vehicle, and mastered data collection and processing technology.
"The second 10-year Vision plan aims to consolidate the at-hand technology," he said, noting that expanding international ties based on common interests to share knowhow, create infrastructures and establish laboratories are among the center's future plans. The ISRC was established by Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology in 2000 under the name "Iran Aerospace Research Center" to perform research in the field of aerospace.
In 2010, the organization reverted to its current name and the administration was transferred to the Presidential Office to be affiliated with the ministry.
ISRC and Iranian Space Agency are the main organizations conducting space research and operations in Iran.
