WANA (Oct 20) – Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Seyed Sattar Hashemi, announced that the country is working to achieve stable and indigenous access to geostationary orbit (GEO) by the end of its Seventh Development Plan.

 

In response to remarks made by the head of Iran’s Space Research Institute regarding the possible placement of an Iranian satellite into GEO within the next two years, Hashemi clarified that the objective is being pursued within the framework of the nation’s 10-year space program.

 

“According to Article 67 of the Seventh Development Plan, the Ministry of ICT is legally tasked with consolidating Iran’s position in low Earth orbit (LEO) at 500 kilometers and preparing the groundwork for access to geostationary orbit,” he explained.

 

The minister emphasized that reaching GEO is one of the country’s key strategic goals in the space sector. “Compared to LEO, achieving GEO is far more complex and requires advanced infrastructure. Nevertheless, given its significance, we are pursuing it as a top priority,” he said.

 

Hashemi also referred to the recent visit of First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref to the ICT Research Institute, during which the vice president underscored the importance of achieving GEO access and designated it as a special national objective. “Fortunately, both the government and the Ministry of ICT are fully committed and determined to realize this goal,” Hashemi noted.

 

Concluding his remarks, the minister reiterated: “Our aim is to secure effective, sustainable, and indigenous access to geostationary orbit by the end of the Seventh Development Plan.”

 

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The Seventh Development Plan serves as Iran’s five-year strategic roadmap for 2024 to 2028, designed to promote economic, social, and environmental growth while addressing the country’s key structural imbalances. The plan consists of 22 chapters that outline reforms in areas such as budget structure, banking systems, and pension funds, and requires government agencies to meet specific national objectives.

The “Simorgh” satellite carrier launched at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on December 6, 2024. Iran’s Ministry of Defense/WANA (West Asia News Agency)