Iran to Send Heavier Satellites to Higher Orbits in 2 Years

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:19:15 EST

Iran to Send Heavier Satellites to Higher Orbits in 2 Years
News number: 881224117616:43 | 2010-03-15Science

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Iranian aerospace official announced here in Tehran
on Monday that President Ahmadinejad's declaration about sending heavier
homemade satellites into the higher orbits will come into effect in two
years.

"The promise made by the president on launching heavier satellites into the
higher altitudes than what was done on February 3 will come into practice in
less than two years," Managing Director of Iran's Air Industries
Organization Manouchehr Manteqi told FNA.

Referring to Iran's achievements in the field of aerospace in recent years,
Manteqi reiterated that if Iran continues its present trend of progress in
the next few years, it will be able to send scientists and astronauts into
space within 10 years.

The first biocapsule of living creatures from Iran was sent into the space
on the back of Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) carrier on February 3. The capsule
has the ability to send back empirical data to studying the living
creatures' status in the space.

Also in February, Iran unveiled a new generation of home-made satellites and
another newly-developed satellite carrier called Simorgh (Phoenix, a
legendary bird in Persian stories).

The satellite carrier utilizes a new generation of liquid-fuel engines to
put satellites in orbit.

The milk-bottle shaped rocket, emblazoned in blue with the words "Satellite
Carrier Simorgh," is equipped to carry a 60-kilogram (132-pound) satellite
500 kilometers (310 miles) into orbit.

The 27-meter (90-foot) tall multi-stage rocket weighs 85 tons and its liquid
fuel propulsion system has a thrust of up to 143 tons. The rocket uses a
cluster of four engines each having a thrust of 32 tons plus a control
engine with a thrust of 15 tons.

Experts believe that the engine could be used in future for carrying
700-kilogram (1540-pound) satellites 1000 kilometers (620 miles) into orbit.

Simorgh is different from Iran's first home-made satellite carrier Safir
(Ambassador) - which carried Iran's Omid (Hope) satellite - both in length
and diameter and has been designed to carry the new generation of Iranian
satellites into the orbit.

Iranian president also on February 3 announced Tehran's plans for sending
scientists and astronauts into space in future.

"With God's help, (Iranian) scientists will be sent into the space and they
will observe the universe from there," the Iranian president said at a
ceremony to unveil several national achievements, specially in the field of
aerospace.

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Iran to Send Heavier Satellites to Higher Orbits in 2 Years