Iran Unveils 3 New Satellites on National Space Technology Day

Last Sunday, Iran unveiled three innovative satellites during an event marking National Space Technology Day. The event demonstrated Iran’s commitment to strengthening its capabilities in space.

Turning Point for Iran’s Space Ambitions

The ceremony at Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology was attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian, Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Sattar Hashemi, Hassan Salarieh, the head of the Iranian Space Agency (ISA), and other high-ranking officials.

‘The private sector can advance with rapid acceleration on the path that has already begun,’ Minister Hashemi noted, emphasising the crucial role of private enterprises in the space industry.

He advocated for greater private sector participation, noting its potential for human resource usage and productivity enhancement, which were critical to achieving the Government’s growth objectives.

Iran’s New Satellites: What’s Known About Them?

Three new satellites that Salarieh said will form a constellation of Earth remote sensing satellites were unveiled at the event: the Navak-1, the Pars-2 and a modernised version of the Pars-1.

Navak-1 Satellite

The Space Research Institute of Iran developed Navak-1, a communication satellite, on a 20-50 kg platform.

Its main objective is to test the performance of the Sim launch vehicle, which is scheduled to be launched soon. The optimised Simorgh launch vehicle (SLV) will put Navak-1 into an elongated elliptical orbit.

The satellite has a mass of about 34kg and dimensions of 40x40x60cm. It is equipped with a dosimetry payload to measure cosmic radiation levels, a magnetometer to measure the Earth’s magnetic field and magnetic actuators to control orientation in space.

Communication with ground stations will be carried out in the S-band.

Pars-2 Satellite

This 150 kg satellite has two payloads to acquire images with different types of linear sensors: colour with a resolution of 3 metres and 2D with 4 metres in monochrome mode and 8 metres in multispectral mode.

Combining the acquired images and using software techniques can achieve a resolution better than 2.5 metres. Both payloads are fully developed and manufactured in the Islamic Republic.

The Modernised Version Of The Pars-1 Satellite

Modernised Pars-1 is a remote sensing satellite built by the Space Research Institute of Iran on a 100-150 kg satellite platform.

The first model of this satellite was successfully launched using a Soyuz rocket last year and was tested. The results of this launch were used to improve the second model of Pars-1 with necessary modifications.

The second model of Pars-1 will be launched into Earth orbit at an altitude of about 500 kilometres. The satellite, which weighs less than 150 kilograms, is equipped with three payloads: multispectral imaging (MS), near-infrared (SWIR), and thermal infrared (TIR) with resolutions of 15 metres, 150 metres, and 300 metres, respectively.

The acquired images will be transmitted to Earth via X-band.

Growing Role of AI in New Iran’s Satellites

The head of the space agency acknowledged that the country’s first satellites had limitations in image resolution and accuracy. However, technological advances have led to significant improvements, making Iran’s more modern satellites more advanced.

‘We are currently developing satellites with an imaging accuracy of about two metres, and we are constantly working to improve this accuracy further,’ Salarieh said.

ISA engineers have implemented AI-based techniques to process and analyse satellite imagery better. These advances, Salarieh said, improve the accuracy and usability of satellite data, helping experts extract more valuable information from space-based observations.

‘This advancement allows AI-based assistants to work alongside experts, greatly improving the efficiency and effectiveness of satellite imagery,’ he explained.

New Iran’s Satellites are Ramping Up Its Space Programme

Salarieh said Iran plans to conduct two satellite launches before the end of the year. He also noted that 25 satellites are in development, and eight are ready for launch.

Iran plans to launch two satellites by the end of the Iranian calendar year, which ends on 20 March.

Iran has been actively developing its space programme since the early 2000s.

In 2005, Iran joined the club of space nations by launching the Sina-1 satellite, which was put into orbit with the help of Russia. Since then, the Iranian Space Agency has prioritized space planning and the expansion of space technology in the country, using local knowledge and international cooperation.

Despite sanctions imposed in recent years, Iran has made great strides in its civilian space programme.

Private sector companies used satellite imagery to provide various services, and universities and research institutes were actively expanding their work in that field. The country is among the top 10 countries in the world capable of developing and launching its satellites.