Iran launches heavy satellite into high orbit with new module
Photo: Simorgh missile launch in January 2024 (Iranian Defense Ministry)
Iran has sent its heaviest-ever cargo into space using a Simorgh rocket, including an advanced module to put satellites into higher orbits, Reuters reports.
The state television broadcast said that the Samān-1 transition module, along with a CubeSat and a research payload, “were successfully placed in an elliptical orbit with a high point of 410 km (255 miles) and a low point of 300 km.”
The launch took place amid claims by the United States and European countries that Iran was transferring ballistic missiles to Russia, which would likely be used in a war with Ukraine within weeks.
According to the Iranian media, the two-stage liquid-fueled Simorgh launch vehicle was created by the Iranian Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces Logistics Service.
“During its eighth launch, it achieved a new milestone by successfully delivering the Samān-1 Orbital Transfer Block and two other research payloads with a combined weight of approximately 300 kg (660 pounds), setting a new national record for the heaviest payload launched into orbit,” they added.
In January, Iran announced that it had launched three satellites simultaneously for the first time using a Simorgh rocket.
Iranian media reported at the time that one satellite weighing 32 kg and two nanosatellites weighing less than 10 kg each were sent into a minimum orbit of 450 km (280 miles), with the two smaller devices aimed at testing narrowband communication and geo-positioning technologies.
In September, Iran launched the Chamran-1 research satellite into a 550 km orbit using a Qaem-100 launch vehicle.
