Space Systems, Structural Dynamic Test Laboratory
© By Charles P. Vick (All Rights Reserved)
Senior Technical Analyst
07-21-10 /03-07/25-11
The President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad opened the new Space Systems, Structural Dynamic Test Laboratory of the Iranian Aerospace Center outside Tehran Iran at the end of January 2011. This facility is designed to provide that which is required for the development of the Simorgh-3 IRILV booster and it follow on manned space booster variants. This high bay building has at least two 40 meter high systems test and vertical dynamic test halls parallel to one another but separate from one another. This matches the same diameter multi stage space booster Iran will require for both its planned 2019 or by 2021 manned space program ten years after 2010-2011 that could also serve as a strategic military ICBM. The first stage of the Simorgh-3 IRILV booster due to fly in 2012 appears to already be in the dynamic test stall in the high bay building in addition to the Safir-1B booster in the other bay. While the Simorgh-3 (Phoenix) IRILV booster is expected to fly in 2012 with a height of 27 meters using at least two or three stages with a total launch mass of 85 tones on a launch thrust of 143 tones to placing a 60 kilogram satellite into a 500 kilometer orbit. Previously in 2009 Iran had planned for the first manned flight for 2024. Later on Minister of Defense Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi noted that his ministry had constructed or turned over ten test laboratories to strength the Iranian space industry infrastructure, which it can be surmised also supports the defense industry needs.
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