The Iranian Space Agency (ISA, Persian: Sāzmān-e Fazāi-ye Irān) is Iran's governmental space agency. The Iranian Space Research Center and Iranian Space Agency are the main organizations carrying space research and operations in Iran. Iran became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009. Iran is one of the 24 founding members of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), which was established on 13 December 1958.
History The history of the space industry in Iran dates back to the late 1940s and early 1950s. Iran first joined the ranks of space technology users in 1960 by becoming a member of the International Satellite Communications Organization and installing and using a standard A antenna in Asadabad, Hamedan.
In 1974, following the launch of the first US Earth Resources Survey satellite, which was later renamed the Landsat series, the Satellite Data Collection Office was established to enable the use of satellite data in the then Planning and Budget Organization, and the use of remote sensing technology began in this office. After initial research and obtaining favorable results from satellite images and with the aim of direct access to satellite images, the office was renamed the "Iranian Remote Sensing Center", and thus, the foundation for a national space institution was laid in Iran in the early 1970s.
In 1976, the "Iran Remote Sensing Center" purchased and installed satellite image receiving stations in Mahdasht, Karaj, as part of the "Satellite Use Plan" to directly receive satellite information and process, duplicate, and distribute data. The following systems were planned for the aforementioned station: Information tracking and receiving system Information processing and correction system Information interpretation system Information management system Information duplicating and printing system
In 1991, according to a single article approved by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the "Iranian Remote Sensing Center" was transferred to the Ministry of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones as a state-owned company. Subsequently, to comply with the country's Supreme Space Council approvals, all governance activities of the center were transferred to the Iranian Space Organization.
ISA was established on 28 February 2004, according to Article 9 of the Law for Tasks and Authorizations of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology passed on 10 December 2003 by the Parliament of Iran. Based on the approved statute, ISA is mandated to cover and support all the activities in Iran concerning the peaceful applications of space science and technology under the leadership of a Supreme Council of Space chaired by the President of Iran.
The council's main goals included policy making for the application of space technologies aiming peaceful uses of outer space, manufacturing, launching and use of the national research satellites, approving the space related state and private sector programs, promoting the partnership of the private and cooperative sectors in efficient uses of space, identifying guidelines concerning the regional and international cooperation in space issues.
To follow and implement the strategies set by the council, ISA, affiliated with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in the form of an autonomous organization, was organized. The president of ISA held the positions of Vice-Minister of Communications and Information Technology and Secretary of the Supreme Council of Space simultaneously.
In 2015, Iran's space program was quietly suspended by President Rouhani following international pressures. It has then been reinvigorated by President Raisi in 2021.
Budget
The proposed budget for the Iranian year 1393 (2014–2015) was 1,865,583 million rials (US$71,753,192). Other related organizations have received separate budget allocations. Iranian Space Research Center has received an additional 1,751,000 million rials (US$67,346,100) of budget for the year 1393.
The budget for the year 2008 was mentioned to be US$3.9 billion (2008). However, it was not apparent whether the allocation was just for one year or a longer period.
Under President Hassan Rouhani, the proposed 2017 budget for the Iranian Space Agency fell to a low of US$4.6 million.
Satellite launch vehicle (SLV)
Safir SLV
Iran has developed an expendable satellite launch vehicle named Safir SLV. Measuring 22 m in height with a core diameter of 1.25 m, with two liquid propellant stages, a single thrust chambered first stage and a two-thrust chambered, step-throttled second stage, the SLV has a lift off mass exceeding 26 tons. The first stage consists of a lengthened up-rated Shahab-3C. According to the technical documentation presented in the annual meeting of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, it is a two-stage rocket with all liquid propellant engines. The first stage is capable of carrying the payload to the maximum altitude of 68 kilometres.
The Safir-1B is the second generation of Safir SLV and can carry a satellite weighing 60 kg into an elliptical orbit of 300 to 450 km. The thrust of the Safir-1B rocket engine has been increased from 32 to 37 tons.
Simorgh SLV
In 2010, a more powerful rocket named Simorgh was built. Its mission is to carry heavier satellites into orbit. The Simorgh rocket is long, and has a mass of 77 tonnes (85 tons). Its first stage is powered by four main engines, each generating up to of thrust, plus a fifth which will be used for attitude control, which provides an additional . At liftoff, these engines will generate a total of of thrust. Simorgh is capable of putting a 350-kilogram (770 lb) payload into a low Earth orbit. In 2015, Israeli media reported that the missile is capable of taking a crewed spacecraft or satellite into space. The first flight of the Simorgh rocket occurred on 19 April 2016.
Zuljanah SLV
On 1 February 2021, Iran said it successfully tested its latest satellite launch vehicle named "Zuljanah" which is capable of carrying satellites weighing up to 220 kg into a 500 km orbit. The SLV has three stages and is equipped with 2 solid fuel engine stages and a last liquid fuel stage, with the first and second stages having 75 tons of thrust each.
Qaem 100 SLV
Qased SLV
Qoqnoos SLV On 2 February 2013, the head of the Iranian Space Agency, Hamid Fazeli mentioned that the new satellite launch vehicle, Qoqnoos will be used after the Simorgh SLV for heavier payloads.
Soroush 1 & 2 SLV
ISA has plans to build SLVs (named "Soroush" 1 & 2) in the future with a capacity to place 8 tons and 15 tons payloads in space (i.e. 200 km orbit) respectively.
Launch history
Orbital launches
On 17 August 2008, Iran proceeded with the second test launch of a two-stage Safir SLV from a site south of Semnan city in the northern part of the Dasht-e-Kavir desert. Reza Taghizadeh, head of the Iranian Aerospace Organization, told state television "The Safir (Ambassador) satellite carrier was launched today and, for the first time, we successfully launched a dummy satellite into orbit".
On 2 February 2009, Iranian state television reported that Iran's first domestically made satellite Omid (, meaning "Hope") had been successfully launched into Low Earth orbit by Iran's Safir rocket and therefore Iran became the 9th country to put a domestically built satellite into orbit. The operation was made to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution.
In February 2011, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that there will be many launches of indigenously produced orbiters in 2011–2012 period.
Iran plans to send one-ton satellites into an orbit of 1000 km and is setting up a new launch base for this purpose. Iran is also planning to launch satellites into orbits up to 36,000 km by 2027.
Sub-orbital launches
On 25 February 2007, the Iranian state-run television announced that a rocket, created by the ministries of science and defense and which carried an unspecified cargo, was successfully launched. This could have been the maiden test flight of the three staged Safir SLV which ended in a failure. Later on it was noted by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the failure was due to a technical problem in the last stage of the rocket.
On 4 February 2008, Iran successfully launched a two-stage all solid-fuel sub-orbital sounding rocket Kavoshgar-1 (Explorer-1), for a maiden sub-orbital test flight from Shahroud, its newly inaugurated domestic space launch complex. The first stage of the rocket detached after 90 seconds and returned to Earth with the help of a parachute while the second stage reached a 200 km altitude before reentering the Earth's atmosphere after 300 seconds. The third section of the rocket, containing an atmospheric probe, climbed to 250 km while successfully transmitting scientific data on the atmosphere and the electromagnetic waves on its path back to Earth. It deployed a parachute after six minutes at a lower altitude.
The second Kavoshgar (Kavoshgar-2), which carried a space-lab and a restoration system, was launched in November 2008.
In 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020, Iran launched a sub-orbital satellite on Simorgh, and in 2021 and 2022, it launched a satellite on Zuljanah, both of which were successful.
Animals in space
Iran is the 6th country to send animals in space. On 3 February 2010, ISA launched a Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) rocket with one rodent, two turtles, and several worms into sub-orbital space and returned them to Earth alive. The rocket was enabled to transfer electronic data and live footage back to Earth. The Iranian Aerospace Organization (IAO) showed live video transmission of mini-environmental lab to enable further studies on the biological capsule. This was the first biological payload launched by Iran. Iran is the sixth country to send animals in space. On 15 March 2011, the ISA launched the Kavoshgar-4 (Explorer-4) rocket carrying a test capsule designed to carry a monkey but without living creatures on board. Kavoshgar-5 (Explorer-5) carrying a live monkey was launched for a 20-minute sub-orbital flight in September 2011, however the mission failed. On 3 October 2011, Iran indefinitely postponed further plans while scientists reviewed readiness for future missions. In May 2012, Iran announced that it would send more living creatures into the space by the summer. Following the last failed attempt, ISA was seeking to successfully send a monkey into space by 2013. ISA head Hamid Fazeli told the Iranian news agency Mehr that the designated monkeys are currently in quarantine. On 29 January 2013, Iranian state media announced that a monkey was sent into space and returned safely aboard the Pishgam capsule, after having reached a height of 120 km. This was the first time that Iran has sent a primate into space, 54 years after the first monkeys Able and Baker returned safely. No details on the timing or location of the launch were given. On 14 December 2013, Iran launched a second monkey, named Fargam, on a suborbital flight. The monkey is reported to have been retrieved successfully and safe, after the short 15-minute flight. On 6 December 2023, Iran launched its 500-kilogram (1,000-pound) bio-space capsule to 130 kilometres (80 miles) from Earth's surface using Salman launcher. It was a test for space technologies in the areas of launch, recovery, and speed control systems, as well as impact shields, capsule aerodynamic design, and the systems related to control and monitoring of biological conditions.
Satellites
Iran is the 9th country to put a domestically built satellite into orbit using its own launcher.
Launched satellites
On 28 October 2005, a Kosmos-3M booster rocket launched Sina-1. The joint Iranian-Russian Sina-1 project cost US$15 million, and the launch made Iran the 43rd country to possess its own satellite.