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Iran ’s Emerging Space Programs

Based on one of the suggestions in the Sixth Development Plan, which dates back to the years 1395 to 1399, Iran is expected to acquire native satellites of remote sensing. But when this volume of credit with current pledges is closed with the Russian side, how can it be achieved by investing indigenously?

The paradox of government officials, especially the communications minister, as the upstream spokesman for cooperation with Russia, and even the signing of a deal with the country, reveals that the directors of the Aerospace Research Institute, in particular Dr. Fathallah Amy, director of the research institute, recently appeared in the Thuraya program Officially announced that "only 7 percent of the budget for space projects has been allocated and that adequate resources are not available to track the spatial projects." At that time, the Islamic Republic of Iran was slowly moving toward developing its space industry and by launching a probe, different tests and satellite launches

A review of the news showed that in the same year 2013, the French launched a telecommunications satellite for Azerbaijan, where Azerbaijan spent $ 120 million, and Bolivia, with the help of China, launched a 5-ton satellite telecommunication satellite in 2013, costing roughly The 300 million dollars have been abandoned for this task, but Iran's space plan and vision is not well-defined and supported for the near future.

The spatial centers and programs of Iran do not have a good time nowadays, and news about heavy contracts with other countries for the design, construction and launch of the satellite is more than happy to cause concern to lovers. And the activists will provide this important and strategic industry.

With the "Perspective of the Space Document of the Country", also referred to as the 10-year space plan of the country, one of the planned scenarios is to achieve the first place in the region; to stabilize the spatial technology and receive services One of the other goals is to advance the horizons.

With all these interpretations and development plans for the advancement of the space industry, with the advent of the eleventh government, the 11th government has slowed down the pace of activity in this field, but it seems that the 12th plan of the State Space Agency is planning to see the goals set out in the Development Document.

Background

Iran’s Space Plans

Science & Technology Budget Three Year Fiscal Planning Cycle

© Charles P. Vick 2007 All Rights Reserved

March 15, 2007 – April 1, 2008

Disclaimer

The opinions and evaluations stated here in are only the authors and cannot be construed to reflect those of any Government agency, company, institute or association. It is based on public information, circumstantial evidence, informed speculation, declassified U.S. intelligence community documents, official Iranian and North Korean government documents and histories, oral histories, interviews and reverse engineering analysis. As with all data regarding the Iranian and North Korean strategic space and ballistic missile programs, this analysis is subject to revision--and represents a work in progress.

Iran's 3rd. Kavoshgar Vertical Probe

Iran is planning a vertical probe Kavoshgar (Explorer)#3 launch by a renamed Shahab-3C booster ballistic missile with biological capsule for a carrying living creatures into space. The sub-orbital flight is scheduled for its spaceflight utilizing it reentry vehicle for at the end of the current Iranian year on or before March 20, 2010.

Iran ’s Emerging Space Programs

The appearance of Iran ’s space program is tied to foreign cooperation and the parallel development of its satellites and launch vehicles. The strategic ballistic missile Shahab-4 design as originally envisioned was apparently shelved but reworked into a satellite launch application with its strategic mission replaced by the Shahab-3B and No-dong-B and Ghadr-101 & Ghadr-110-/Ashura ballistic missiles. Still under development Shahab-5 and 6 launch vehicle programs have been redirected due to joint North Korean and Iranian revised Taep’o-dong-2C/3 design. The three primary countries that Iran is cooperating with are Russia , China and North Korea . Iran is trying to develop an indigenous spacecraft, satellite development industry through this cooperation and purchased “know how” and technology transfer. China has apparently already launched Iran ’s initial satellite payload offerings attached to China ’s new whether satellites. In the future Iran intends to launch its own satellites on its indigenous Shahab-3 based two & three stage “Safir” launch vehicle and or other jointly developed boosters but today Iran remains dependent on foreign launch providers to place its payload into Earth orbit. This could begin to change this year (2007 -2008) but that has been predicted since 2001 but only time will tell when this will occur. This long term delay probably reflects the three year fiscal planning cycle of long term development similar to North Korea and the Former Soviet Union. Their statements tend to speak as if they have it now when it is as much as one or two, three year plans away from coming to fruition.

As early as June 27, 1998 an agreement in Iran was signed to design, construct and launch a communications research, Earth observation satellite “Mesbah”, and a small technological satellite. This agreement was with the Minister of Higher Education, Mostafa Moin and the Minister of Post, Telegraph, and Telephone, Minister Reza Arefvazdi. The Mesbah 60 kilogram 50 centimeter cubical technology satellite laboratory model was improved for launch by July 2005 satellite was to be launched within the next three years (2001) of signing with apparently China and Russia’s Glavkosmos organization as a piggy-back payload on a Russian and a Chinese booster. This first Meshah satellite has yet to be launched but the second one was launch as the Shinah-1/Meshab-2 on October 27, 2005 on the Russian Cosmos C-1 booster from the Plesetsk, Cosmodrome.

The project was to be run by The Scientific and Industrial Research organization of Iran and its Center for Telecommunications Research. This is one of several communication satellite projects being developed by Iran. Besides the communication satellites two mini-satellites were being developed. The SMMS (Small multi-mission Satellite) is a joint venture payload between China, Iran, South Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Thailand and Bangladesh under the Asian-Pacific organization. It was to be launched on a Long March-4 in 2000 and 2001 as a part of the China’s weather satellite program. This has apparently taken place. The 380 kilograms satellite is based on the CAST-968B platform developed by China’s space industry of the PRC Academy of Space Technology. It will carry a 100kg Multi-spectral CCD imaging camera. The camera is capable of wide field 20 meters resolution imaging. (1)

Space News added more in 1999 noting that, Mostafa Safari Iran’s deputy minister of Post and Telegraph telephones-Domestic satellite communications program approved early in 1999 for 2002 launch called the Zahreh. Solicited bids for the satellites development contract were expected to come from France, India, China, and Russia for the KU frequency band Zahreh system. The program contract called for considerable technology transfer to Iran as a requirement for winning the contract with provisions to train Iran’s satellite engineers and technicians. The satellites are to be placed 34 degrees East and 47 degrees East above the equator in the appropriate geo-stationary satellite orbit slot. (2) This satellite program underwent considerable delay but was finally contracted with a Russian firm January 26, 2005.

On July 16, 1999, The Washington Times disclosed some new information on the “Kosar” satellite launch vehicle of Iran and its relationship to North Korea’s Taep’o-dong-2. Basically the article stated that Iran and North Korea are working together mutually contributing to each other’s launch vehicle development programs. It further revealed that the Iranians come in a specially equipped Boeing-707 that is apparently filled with Chinese supplied telemetry monitoring equipment for satellite and ballistic missile test launches as previously reported by the Washington Times. Iran’s Kosar launch vehicle was also suggested to be the Iranian variant of the North Korea’s Taep’o-dong-2A booster concept now abandoned for the TD-2C/3. The new missile, named Kosar, was said to be undergoing design development with assistance from Russian aerospace technicians and state-run entities and that it was powered with a version of Russia’s RD-216 liquid fuel booster engine. It was based on new information suggesting there had been another rocket engine technology transfer from a Russian entity. (3) No further clarifying information on this has since surfaced. It could potentially be related to a water pump project that was associated with Energomash that was dropped as technology transfer issue later with no sanctions being issued by the United States.

The RD-216 is an Energomash engine originally used on the Skean/SS-5/R-14, IRBM, Saddler/SS-7/R-16, ICBM and Sasin/R-26 ICBM missiles developed during the cold war. Kosar means-Stream of eternal life in paradise. Israeli Intelligence calls this booster the Shahab-5 and Shahab-6. It was further noted that new booster testing activities was observed at the Iranian Missile test center “near Shahroud East of Tehran in late April”. “We’ve seen them stack stages, then taking them down over the past six weeks,” (April May and early June 1999) one analyst said. “This strongly suggests they will be launching a multi-stage missile.” According to Kenneth R. Timmerman, President of Middle East Data Project, Inc. (3) This is now understood to be the Taep’o-dong-1 model purchased by Iran from North Korea.

Space News noted on Aug. 18, 1999 that Iran planned to launch three satellites, (2002-2003) the two Comsat‘s Zahreh and (1) minor multipurpose bird S. M. M. S. and one Mesbah. (4)

On January 25, 2000 the voice of Iran IRIFPN release the following information about the requested Chinese assistance on Iran’s satellite program ---- “work towards exchanging idea’s in areas such as manufacturing of satellites. --------. Called for cooperation between Iranian and Chinese experts in the field, he expressed the hope that China (would) share its experience and knowledge in that sphere with Iran”. (5)

Reuters on May 6, 2000 offered the following information that Iran expected to place two small communications satellites in Earth orbit “within the next few months---“. The satellites were to be placed into a 620 Earth orbit according to Mohammad Reza Aref the Minister of Communications. They are “two small Iranian manufactured satellites one built with Russian cooperation and the other with eight (Including Iran as a part of the Asian-Pacific Organization) other regional countries – The daily Jomhuri-ye Eslami said.” (6) Russia as reported in Space News is said to be prepared to build one Iranian satellite and were confident of receiving the contract.(7)

Missile Program Chief Engineers Dies

It was reported in the Jerusalem Post on July 12, 2001 which was quoting the Saudi Arabian newspaper Ashark al-Awsat that Ali Mahmudi Mimand the Chief engineer in the Iranian Ministries Satellites and Aeronautics Industry had passed away under mysterious circumstances that have not been explained. He was called the “father of Iran’s Missiles”. This is paramount to the loss of the Designer General of Iran’s missile program which inevitable will cause some set backs in the program which is already delayed due to development problems. Chief Engineer Mimand headed the Zelzal (earthquake), Shahid Hemat Industrial group at its facilities south of Teheran, Iran. His position was such that he was the head of many different rocket projects that came under his authority including the Shahab-1 through 6, Kosar, IRIS series and the other tactical missiles such as the (ASM) Air to Surface Missile system for Iranian helicopters. He was the recipient of the “Ayatollah Khomeni” citation among others. (8)

On October 27, 2005 Iran had a satellite launch from the Russia Plesetsk cosmodrome on a Kosmos-3M booster. It launched the Iranian Sihah-1 micro-spacecraft designed to test telecommunications and imagery research.

More recently on February 25, 2007 Iran launched a Shahab-3A on a ballistic vertical probe sounding rocket flight in which the re-entry vehicle was recovered via parachute.

Also see IRIS, Shahab-4 and Shahab-5 & 6 web sites.