Iran launches first indigenous space tug, nano-satellite into orbit
Iran launched a space tug and a nano-satellite into orbit using a domestically-manufactured satellite launch vehicle (SLV) on Friday morning.
In a milestone for Iran’s space sector, a space tug, the Saman-1, along with a research payload, the Fakhr-1, were successfully sent into space from the Imam Khomeini Space Launch Terminal, southeast of Semnan, using the Simorgh launcher.
The space tug domestically designed and manufactured by Iranian experts and technicians was launched into space aboard the homegrown SLV. The research payloads were also placed in an orbit around the Earth, with an apogee of 410 kilometers and a perigee of 300 kilometers. In its eighth launch, the Simorgh set a new record for the liftoff of payloads. During this multi-phase mission, it successfully placed the Saman-1 orbital transfer block and two other research payloads, weighing nearly 300 kilograms, into orbit.
Designed and developed by technicians from the Iranian Space Research Center (ISRC), the Saman-1 system is designed to place satellites in higher orbits, reducing costs and eliminating the need for large launch vehicles with high fuel consumption. The space tug was test-launched in October 2022. Reflecting on the system, Hassan Salaryieh, chief of Iranian Space Agency said that the system “means a quicker and smoother process of obtaining the orbital point synchronized with the Earth once a satellite elevates its orbital height from the geostationary orbit to the operational one.”
One of the payloads of today’s launcher was, the Fakhr-1 communication satellite. This satellite, developed by experts from the Ministry of Defense’s Iran Electronics Industries, was placed into a 410-kilometer orbit, Press TV reported.
The nano-satellite, named in honor of the martyred scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, has a 3U size and weighs less than 10 kilograms.
One of the goals of this space mission, according to Tasnim news agency, was to validate the multi-payload launch capability of the Simorgh launcher.
Key subsystems used in the Fakhr-1 include the central computer, power and energy management, radio communications, and flight dynamics.After separation from the launch vehicle, the satellite transmitted telemetry data, including information from its subsystems and sensors. During its first pass, the satellite correctly received and executed commands from ground stations.