Iran will have "good news” about the launch of satellites before the end of the current Persian year (March 20), Zare’pour told reporters in a press conference in Tehran on Sunday.
He added that the Iranian youths have made good efforts to build and launch satellites in the past decade. "We will speed up work so that we can become one of the six countries that can launch satellites into the geocentric orbit," Zare’pour said.
He underscored the project to reach the higher orbit was planned to be accomplished in 10 years, but Iran’s President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi asked to speed up the program.
“All capacities have been used to develop the space industry, and launching the satellites is just the beginning of this roadmap,” Zare’pour said.
He said several satellites are in line to be launched. "We intend to run a satellite program for civilian needs so that the production and construction of satellites can play a role along with other industries in the country.”
President Rayeesi in November chaired a meeting of Iran's Supreme Space Council attended by the ministers of defense, communications and information technology, foreign affairs, and industry, where he described the space program as a strong front against the enemies.
Iran has made major achievements in space technology and satellite construction over the past years.
Deputy Head of Iran's Space Research Center Jafar Salehi said in October 2019 that the country plans to manufacture Nahid 3 (Venus 3) satellite to be placed into the geostationary orbit.
“Nahid 3 is the final step in the telecommunication satellites which will be built to pave the ground for Iran’s access to geo operational orbit,” Salehi told FNA at the time.
He added that the satellite is now in the study, feasibility and conceptual design phase.
Salehi also said that at present Iran has designed and built the engineering sample of Nahid 2 telecommunication satellite and has delivered it to the Iranian Space Agency, adding, “We are preparing for delivering the qualitative sample of the satellite.”
Salehi said that Iran would send a new telecommunication satellite named Nahid 1 (Venus 1) into the orbit.
“We have had the construction of Nahid 1 and Nahid 2 satellites on our agenda. Nahid 1 was completed 3 years ago and its periodical tests have been conducted and it can be launched and Iran plans to orbit it,” Salehi said.
He added that Nahid 2 which is more advanced than Nahid 1 is also under construction, explaining that it enjoys the capability to go to higher orbits.
Salehi said that Iran will soon start designing Nahid 3 satellite (Source: FARSNEWS).
Health Minister: Iran Starts Vaccination of School Students
