WANA (Aug 31) – Iran is set to establish a new national space observatory in Chenaran, aimed at strengthening the country’s capability to monitor satellites and celestial objects.

 

Hassan Salarieh, head of the Iranian Space Agency, announced that the observatory will be part of a broader national network of observatories designed to support specialists in space science and satellite monitoring. “Currently, infrastructure upgrades and development are underway at the Mahdasht Space Center,” he said.

 

He added that the second phase of the project will be launched at either the Chenaran or Golbahar Space Center, with groundbreaking and construction expected to begin soon.

 

“These observatories will create valuable capacity for the country — both by assisting researchers and astronomers in studying celestial objects, and by providing critical services for the space industry, particularly in determining satellite orbital positions,” Salarieh emphasized.

 

The observatory project is linked to the Asia-Pacific Optical Space Observation System, which officially began operations on July 27 as the first phase of a multinational space-monitoring initiative led by the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO). As part of this program, three observatories have already been built and equipped in Iran, Pakistan, and Peru.

 

The system’s main objective is the continuous monitoring of satellites, orbital debris, and near-Earth objects using telescopes specifically designed for space observation.

 

To expand this network, a second phase titled “Asia-Pacific Space Science Observatories” is underway, which will see the construction of eight additional observatories across APSCO member states.