Iran’s Defense Ministry says the country has long-term plans to develop satellite launch vehicles capable of putting cargoes weighing up to 15 tons into orbit.
The ministry’s space division spokesman Ahmad Hosseini Mounes made the announcement on Tuesday, days after Iran successfully launched three homegrown satellites into orbit using the domestically-made Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite carrier.
Hosseini Mounes said that Iran’s space activities are “completely scientific and technological” and that the country will not wait for anyone’s permission to continue its activities.
“Based on our roadmap,… we will have the Sarir satellite launch vehicle, which will put a cargo weighing one and a half tons into orbits close to the Earth’s surface,” he added.
“Sarir can launch six or seven satellites into low-altitude orbits or a satellite into an orbit 36,000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. In the more distant future, we will have Soroush family satellite carriers that will place cargoes from 6 to 15 tons into space.”
For the first time on Monday, Simorgh simultaneously put the Mahda research satellite, as well as the Keyhan-2 and Hatef-1 nanosatellites into orbit.
Despite sanctions imposed by Western countries in recent years, Iran has managed to take giant strides in the civilian space program.
It is among the world’s top 10 countries capable of developing and launching satellites.
Last week, the Aerospace Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched the Soraya satellite into orbit using the Qaem 100 satellite carrier.
