Iran’s Most Strategic Space Launch Site Poised for First Mission
WANA (Feb 03) – Iran has announced that the Chabahar Space Launch Base—described as the country’s most strategic space facility—has completed its first development phase and is now ready for its inaugural launch, a move that could strengthen Iran’s position in the region’s emerging space landscape.
Speaking on the sidelines of Iran’s National Space Technology Day, Hassan Salarieh, head of the Iranian Space Agency and deputy minister of Information and Communications Technology, said the country’s space infrastructure is advancing in line with Iran’s 10-year space roadmap and its Seventh National Development Plan. According to Salarieh, the second phase of the Chabahar base has already completed the design stage, and construction of the final phase is expected to begin soon.
Due to its unique geographic location in southeastern Iran and direct access to open waters, the Chabahar launch site is widely regarded by Iranian officials as a key strategic asset. The site is expected to enable a wider range of launches and provide safer access to different orbital inclinations.
Alongside the launch base, Iran has continued to expand its network of ground stations. The Salmas satellite control and data reception station in northwestern Iran has officially entered service, while the Chenaran station in the east of the country is scheduled to be unveiled in the coming weeks. These facilities increase satellite contact windows, allowing for faster orbital stabilization and the downlink of larger volumes of data.
Salarieh also announced the release of the first geometrically and radiometrically corrected images from the domestically built “Paya” satellite. Paya was launched into orbit in early January together with two other Earth-observation satellites, “Kosar” and “Zafar.” He said Paya’s imaging resolution ranges from 5 to 10 meters in standard mode and can reach better than three meters with advanced processing—capabilities suitable for applications such as agriculture, water resource management, environmental monitoring, and urban planning.
Another key development unveiled was the experimental prototype of the “Shahid Soleimani” satellite constellation, a planned network of 24 satellites designed to provide narrowband communications and Internet of Things (IoT) services. The constellation is intended to collect and transmit data from sensors deployed in remote or infrastructure-poor areas, including forests and rangelands, and to support emergency messaging during natural disasters such as earthquakes or wildfires.
According to the Iranian Space Agency chief, Iran’s space program has now moved beyond isolated satellite launches toward the development of integrated constellations, ground infrastructure, and practical civilian and governmental applications of space-based data. He added that Iran has also expanded its international cooperation in the space sector—particularly with Russia—following the launch of the Khayyam satellite, with these partnerships now extending to additional projects.
With the completion of Chabahar’s first phase and preparations underway for new satellite constellations, Iran appears determined to present itself as a more active regional player in space—a trajectory whose technical, economic, and geopolitical implications are being closely watched by international observers.
First Images from Iran’s Most Advanced Earth Observation Satellite Unveiled
WANA (Feb 03) – Coinciding with the start of Space Technology Week in Iran, the first images captured by Paya (Tolou-3), the country’s most advanced Earth observation satellite, were officially unveiled—marking a new milestone in Iran’s indigenous space technology development. The unveiling ceremony was held on Tuesday morning, February 3, Iran’s National Space Technology […]
