Russia to launch Iranian Kowsar, Hodhod satellites into space early on Nov. 5, says ambassador

Iran’s ambassador to Moscow says Russia will launch two domestically-developed Iranian satellites into space onboard a Soyuz launch vehicle within the next few hours.

“In continuation of the development of scientific and technological cooperation between Iran and Russia, two Iranian satellites, Kowsar and Hodhod, will be launched into a 500-kilometer orbit of the Earth on Tuesday, November 15, at 2:48 a.m. Tehran time, by a Soyuz launch vehicle,” Kazem Jalali wrote in a post published on social media platform X on Monday.

He expressed hope that a firm and decisive step towards the entry of Iran’s private sector into the space sector would be taken by the satellite launch.

Jalali further noted that the two satellites have been designed and manufactured by young Iranian scientists at Omid Faza knowledge-based company, with the support of the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, the Iranian Space Agency (ISA), and the Iranian embassy in Moscow.

Kowsar is a high-resolution imaging satellite, whose design process started back in 2019.

Weighing 30 kilograms, the homegrown Iranian satellite has an estimated orbital lifespan of more than three years. It has a color imaging range of 15 kilometers and an imaging rate of 6 frames per second.

Kowsar satellite is suitable for agricultural, land survey and cadaster services.

Iran to launch up to 7 new homegrown satellites into orbit by yearend: Official

The head of the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) says the Islamic Republic plans to send between five and seven homegrown satellites into space by the end of the current Iranian calendar year.

Hodhod satellite is said to be a small communications satellite, which weighs 4 kilograms and has an orbital height of 500 kilometers.

Its orbital lifespan is four years and has a variety of uses, including agriculture, land survey, transport and environmental protection.

Despite sanctions imposed by Western countries in recent years, Iran has taken giant strides in the civilian space program.

The country is among the world’s top 10 nations capable of developing and launching satellites.

On September 14, Iran successfully sent into orbit the domestically-developed Chamran 1 research satellite, registering another impressive stride in the country’s space program.

The satellite was put into orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometers (341 miles) above the Earth’s surface onboard a homegrown Qaem-100 space launch vehicle (SLV).

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