Iran’s new Space Launch

December 31, 2021

Iran has launched a rocket with a satellite carrier bearing three devices into space, on December 30, 2021.

Highlights

Information on when this launch happened or what devices the carrier brought into space was not clear.
However, a Defense Ministry spokesman identified the rocket as “Simorgh, or Phoenix”, that sent up the three devices into space at 470 kilometers.
Status of the objects is still unknow, which suggesting the rocket had failed in placing its payload into the correct orbit.
Iran aired footage of this blast off against the negotiations in Vienna for restoring Iran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers. Eighth round of the negotiations had been underway recently.

Background

Civilian space program of Iran has suffered a series of setbacks in past few years, including fatal fires and a launchpad rocket explosion. In past decades, Iran has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit. In 2013, it launched a monkey into space.

Iranian Space Agency (ISA)

Iranian Space Agency is the governmental space agency. The country became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009. It is one among the 24 founding members of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). COPUOS was set up on December 13, 1958.

History of ISA

ISA was established on in February 2004, in accordance with Article 9 of the Law for Tasks and Authorizations under Ministry of Communications & Information Technology.

Recent missions by Iran

January 2019- AUT-SAT microsatellite, developed by students of Amirkabir University of Technology, was launched onboard Simorgh rocket. It failed to reach the orbit.
February 2020- Iran successfully launched its communication satellite called Zafar 1, onboard the Simorgh rocket from Imam Khomeini Space Center. However, satellite didn’t reach the required speed in final moments and thus failed to put in the orbit.
April 2020- Iran successfully launched “Noor”, a military satellite, into orbit.

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