VP: Gov’t backs domestic space research, lauds ‘Zohreh’ satellite project
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref expressed on Tuesday the government’s full support for the activities of the Iranian Space Research Center (ISRC), particularly the design and construction of the national communications satellite Zohreh.
Equipped with 12 transponders, Zohreh is a national communications satellite being designed and built by Iranian researchers — a major step forward in Iran’s space program.
Speaking during his visit to the ISRC in Tehran, Aref said, “Advances in space science are one of the key areas for achieving the goals of the 20-Year Vision Document,” vppresident.ir reported.
He urged the center and researchers to focus on the design and construction of the Zohreh satellite.
Aref said a three-year plan in the current government had been drawn up to compensate for past gaps in science and technology.
“Given the country’s needs, there is no way but to engage in space and access space sciences. In previous years, we approached this sector logically and fundamentally, but we have been far from the country’s true position,” he said.
“Once, the country sought to reach a 36,000-kilometer orbit and could not even access lower orbits without foreign assistance,” he added. “Today, relying on the capabilities of domestic scientists, we have reached the goal of accessing higher orbits.”