Mesbah Satellite to Become a Museum Piece

The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) has ended a planned launch of the low earth orbiting Mesbah telecommunications satellite citing formidable costs as the key reason.

Head of ISA said that due to the cost considerations of the project, originally developed with Italy’s Carlo Gavazzi Space Company, the satellite will be sent to an Iranian science museum, Mehr News Agency reported.

Mohsen Bahrami, said the $10 million project was developed as a tool for collecting data on ground water resources in the country, as well as studying the regions weather.

In 2003 while undergoing tests in Italy’s Carlo Gavazzi’s research unit, the satellite was seized by European Union sanctions compliance officers citing sanctions against Iran.

Following the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed in 2015, otherwise known as the nuclear deal, the half finished satellite was handed back to Iran after the country had lobbied for the costly project.

After that ISA decided not to go ahead with the project as the costs would far exceed early estimates.

Bahrami said, “It is apparent that not every satellite must make it to  the launching stage. We created a space museum [in Iran] that will be inaugurated this summer. The Mesbah satellite will go there.”

He noted that two other satellites are ready for launch, adding that further information will be disclosed in the coming days.