Russia's space agency to launch Iranian satellite 'Khayyam' into orbit

In a joint endeavor between Tehran and Moscow, Russia’s space agency is set to launch a satellite on behalf of Iran into space next week.

The Roscosmos space agency said on Wednesday that the spacecraft, a remote sensing satellite called "Khayyam", will be sent into orbit by a Soyuz-2.1b rocket, equipped with a Fregat upper stage, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in neighboring Kazakhstan on August 9.

The Earth observation satellite has been named after legendary Persian polymath Omar Khayyam (May 18, 1048 – December 4, 1131), who is known globally for his epic contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and poetry.

The spacecraft will reportedly provide topographic maps and data in order to improve agricultural productivity, better monitor Iran’s water resources, manage natural disasters, supervise development projects under construction, observe environmental hazards, monitor mines and relevant excavations, and keep a close watch on the country's borders.

Iran has taken giant strides in the field of science of technology in recent years, despite crippling US sanctions, which is evident from its satellite launches.

Earlier this year, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force launched its second homegrown satellite into a low Earth orbit (LEO), nearly two years after the launch of its first military satellite.

The IRGC successfully put Nour-2 (Light-2) into orbit on March 8. The homegrown satellite was launched with a three-stage satellite carrier, dubbed Qased (Messenger), from a launchpad in Dasht-e Kavir, a large desert in central Iran.

MG