TEHRAN (Iran News) – Head of Space Research Center in Iran says the country is now capable of manufacturing space engines.
“Iran has achieved the knowledge of building space engines; such engines were formerly built only by the US,” Hossein Samimi told Mehr News Agency.
He said the new achievement includes the design and development of various versions of the “Arash space engine” the first sample of which was tested successfully late 2019.
Referring to the rapid developments of the country’s space sector, Samimi noted that “space engines were not needed before because the Iranian satellites were put into the low orbit in the past; however, now that we are seeking to send satellites into the high orbit, we need such engines.”
“Arash space engine will be put in the orbital transfer system to help thrust satellites from the low orbit into the high orbit.”
Iranian scientists have in recent years made astonishing progress in the development of the country’s space program.
Iran launched its first locally-built satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009. The country also sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in February 2010, using a Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) carrier.
Director of Iran University of Science and Technology, Jabar Ali Zaker said this week the university had delivered the home-grown Zafar satellite to Iran Space Agency, noting that the satellite is now ready for launch.
He did not provide a schedule for the launch but said it will be put into orbit in the next three months.
Zafar is a 90-kilogram remote-sensing satellite equipped with color cameras and can be used for surveying oil reserves, mines, jungles, and natural disasters. If the launch is successful, it will orbit the earth at an altitude of 530 kilometers.
- source : MNA, Irannews
