Aerospace Industry Expanding

Iran is set to send two locally produced satellites into orbit before the end of the current year in March 2018.

According to the director of the Iranian Space Agency, Mohsen Bahrami, affiliated centers are producing three satellites among which “Payam and Amir Kabir will be ready for launch in less than a year,” Fars News Agency reported.

“The other satellite Zafar under construction at Iran University of Science and Technology will be put into orbit in two years.”

The official inaugurated the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Semnan Province, which is a ground station capable of sending satellites up in the space.

A rocket dubbed Simurgh was successfully launched on Thursday from the base  carrying the locally made imaging satellite, Tolou.

A rocket in the range of Simorgh is capable of placing a satellite weighing up to 250 kilograms in orbit 500 km above the earth.

After the launch, President Hassan Rouhani took to Instagram and posted “Space science is of dire importance to us. The greater our scientific power, the greater will be our sovereignty and dignity.”

Iran launched its first locally-built satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009. It also sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in February 2010, using Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) carrier.

In February 2015, Iran placed the domestically-made Fajr (Dawn) satellite into orbit. The satellite is capable of taking and transmitting high-quality and accurate pictures to stations on Earth.

Over the year Iran has invested heavily in its aerospace industry with universities  participating in the national advancement program.