Iran placed a new research satellite into orbit, which was a major boost to its space program despite calls from some of its critics in the West. As reported by Chabane state media, the Chamran-1 satellite, which weighs 60 kg (132 pounds), will be developed to prove avionics and command and control hardware/software platforms and demonstrate orbital maneuvering technology.
The satellite was put in orbit on the Ghaem-100 carrier, the first solid-fueled three-stage satellite launcher developed in Iran. After the launch, however, the tests and initial signals were said to have been received from Chamran-1, showing that the deployment had been successful.
The Western governments have expressed their concern about Iran’s satellite initiatives, claiming that the same technology can be used in military equipment such as ballistic missiles and those with nuclear warheads. However, Iran continues to assert that its space launches have political, economic, and communications civilian/defensive missions and do not aim at building a nuclear bomb.
This launch happens against the backdrop of claims by the United States and other European nations that Iran has been providing ballistic missiles to Russia for the current war in Ukraine, which Iran has strongly refuted.
Although Iran has had its fair share of problems with satellite launches, the country persists in its aerospace endeavors by stating that the programs are entirely for civilian use and are in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Most notably, in January, the Iranian press reported that the Sorayya satellite was successfully launched and placed in an orbit of 750 km (465 miles), the highest orbit Iran has achieved so far. Also, in the same month, an orbiting remote sensing and imaging satellite, with Russian assistance, dominated negative reactions from the United States.
Iran’s telecommunications minister once stated that the country had launched a dozen satellites within the past two years; however, it has been significantly affected by severe sanctions imposed by Western countries, especially after the U.S. pullout from the nuclear deal in 2018.
