Iran says will unveil new satellite carriers soon

PanARMENIAN.Net - The spokesman for the Iranian Defense Ministry’s Space Group has announced that the country plans to unveil two domestically made satellite carriers in the near future, Tasnim news agency reports.

Speaking at a televised program on Monday, January 28 night, Seyed Ahmad Hosseini said that while only 6 countries had the technology to develop spaceports in the past, "Iran is now the seventh one in the club."

Referring to the upcoming launch of the homegrown Zafar (victory) satellite, he said it has a 25-meter precision, while that of the next version of Zafar would be 16 meters.

In the not-too-distant future, Iran will unveil Sarir and Soroush satellite carriers, he said, adding that the country is seeking to build solid-fuel satellite carriers in the near future.

On Wednesday, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi told reporters that the new homegrown satellite Zafar will be launched before February 11—the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

The minister said two versions of Zafar have been manufactured, so that if the first launch fails, the second satellite will be immediately prepared as a replacement.

Zafar, which weighs 113 kilograms, is going to be sent into an orbit at the altitudes of above 500 km, he noted, adding that it will be utilized for telecommunication, taking images, and picking up space signals.

The Iranian satellite will reportedly have a lifespan of one year and six months, and will capture images and transmit them to stations on earth.