Celebrating Iran's National Day of Space Technology

By Reza Soltani

Every year on 3 February Iranians celebrate the National Day of Space Technology. All Iranians are proud of having a national space industry and they celebrate this day to show how much the advanced technology and industries are important for them. Regarding the broad circle of space related activities, establishment of an organization tasked with fulfilling such measures was inevitable. The main goals of the organization are policy making for the application of space technologies with the aim of using them peacefully outer space, manufacturing, launching and using of the national research satellites, approving space related public and private sector programs, promoting the partnership of private and cooperative sectors in efficient uses of space, identifying guidelines concerning the regional and international cooperation in space issues. Islamic Republic of Iran has a long precedent in satellite communication. Since 1969, Iran has become a member of several international space councils, and it has been introduced as a pioneer country in space industries in the world.

The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran is an active participant in the Asian space area and has become 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, which was set up in 1958. ISA was established on 1 February, 2004 according to the 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 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 Iran’s President.

Satellite Launch Vehicle: Iran is the ninth country to put a domestically-built satellite into orbit by using a domestic launcher, the Safir-2 launch vehicle. After 2000, Iran acquired the necessary skills to begin initial production of the Shahab-3 rocket. This was followed by several modifications and improvements, leading to the test firing of an improved version (Shahab SLV) in late 2004, which was used to launch a completely indigenous Omid satellite. This was followed by several further modifications and improvements, leading to the test firing of the next generation, a (Shahab SLV) in late 2004, which was used to launch an additional Omid satellite. Iran has developed an expendable satellite launch vehicle named Safir SLV. 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 a maximum altitude of 6.8 kilometers. It is designed to place a lightweight (50–100 kg) payload into a 500 km LEO. The lighter sub-orbital all-liquid two-stage version is known as Kavoshgar. It is the civilian version derived from one of at least four known military ASAT systems still in development, thus the Safir SLV is 40% taller. In 2010 a more powerful rocket named Simorgh was built. Its mission is to carry the heavier Mesbah-2, Toloo and Navid-Elmo-Sanat satellites into orbit.

According to Iranian media, Iranian experts are also engaged in development of three more satellite projects including ZS4, SM2S and Sepehr. Iran plans to have satellites in geostationary orbit by 2016. Iran is also supposed to implement 10 satellite projects with Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) members. The organization has defined 10 projects on designing, building and launching light satellites, middle class satellites weighing 500-600 kg, research satellites, remote-sensing and telecommunications satellites.

Manned space program: Iran Aerospace Industries Organization (IAIO) head Reza Taghipour on August 20, 2008, revealed Iran intends to launch a manned mission into space within a decade. This goal was described as the country's top priority for the next 10 years, in order to make Iran the leading space power of the region by 2021. In August 2010, President Ahmadinejad announced that Iran's first astronaut should be sent into space onboard an Iranian spacecraft by no later than 2019.