Iran preparing to launch new satellite into orbit in autumn

A senior Iranian space official says the country has “special plans” for developing telecommunication satellites designed to be placed in high-altitude orbits, and that one of the spacecraft under construction will be launched this autumn.

“In the field of remote-sensing satellites, we have built a number of indigenous satellites under sanctions. We currently possess satellites that have reached the launch level,” said Hassan Salarieh, who heads Iran’s Space Organization, without specifying the number.

“We have special programs for telecommunication satellites designed to operate at high altitudes, and several telecommunication satellites are currently in line for launch,” said the deputy minister of communications.

Given the rate of the Earth’s rotation speed, telecommunication satellites move and carry out their missions in a 36,000-kilometer orbit, according to Salarieh.

“At present, each of the orbits of the Earth is found to have a special usage, and due to the various applications of the space industry, some of these orbits have become very well known,” he added.

Salarieh elaborated on the services that satellite provide. As a case in point, he said, “the issue of land subsidence is a problem in our country caused by a drought over the past years and excessive usage of underground water resources.”

“The challenge can be overcome with the help of satellites,” he said.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.