Iran Space Agency chief: Pars-2 satellite scheduled for launch

Pars Today – The head of the Iranian Space Agency has announced preparations for a new Iranian remote-sensing satellite, saying the Pars-2 satellite, an advanced version of the Paya satellite, has been completed with an imaging resolution of better than three meters and has been scheduled for launch.

According to Pars Today, citing IRIB, Hassan Salarieh, head of the Iranian Space Agency, made the remarks on Sunday at a ceremony marking World Space Week. Referring to Iran’s advances in the space industry, he said Iran’s first telecommunications satellite, Nahid-2, was successfully placed into orbit and most of its tests were successfully completed. The project was developed by experts at the Iranian Space Research Center under the Ministry of Communications, with the support of a network of knowledge-based companies, and more advanced generations of the satellite are currently under development.

He described another major achievement as the successful establishment of reliable space-launch capabilities, saying the performance of the Qaem-100 satellite carrier had been successfully consolidated.

He also said the Chamran satellite had performed successfully, adding that, as part of efforts to develop algorithms for controlling satellite positioning in orbit, the satellite carried out the country’s first orbital rendezvous, which he described as a major achievement.

Salarieh went on to refer to heavy launches, saying: “The next achievement was the launch of the heaviest payload by the Simorgh satellite carrier, which our colleagues at Iran’s Ministry of Defense have been working on. The Saman Orbital Transfer Block simulator software, developed by the Iranian Space Research Center, was also tested using the Simorgh satellite carrier. The Saman block, more advanced versions of which are also under development, plays a major role in reaching higher orbits.”

The Deputy Minister of Communications described another major development as the performance of remote-sensing systems, stressing: “The full operation of the Paya satellite is another record for Iran’s space industry. Our colleagues at SAIRAN have been working on this satellite. It was placed into orbit last year, and its camera and all of its various subsystems were developed entirely domestically in Iran. More advanced generations of this satellite are also under development, and its high imaging accuracy is one of its key features.”

The head of the Iranian Space Agency also announced preparations for a new remote-sensing satellite, saying: “The Pars-2 satellite, an advanced version of the Paya satellite, has been completed with an imaging resolution of better than three meters and, God willing, has been included in the launch program. Details will be announced later.”