Iranian Space Agency

Infobox Space agency
name = Iranian Space Agency
owner = flag|Iran
headquarters = Shahrood and Qom


caption =
size = 100px
acronym = ISA
established = 2004
administrator = Ahmad Talebzadeh
budget =
URL = [http://www.isa.ir/en/ www.isa.ir/en/]

The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) is Iran's governmental space agency.

The president of Iranian Space Agency is one of the deputies of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. ISA was established to conduct research in the field of space and technology. These fields include remote sensing and development of national and international space technology and communication networks. Iranian Space Agency performs the approvals of the Iran Space Council (ISC), which is established in order to peacefully use space technology and science and the above atmosphere space to develop the culture, technology science and finance of the country. The head of ISC is the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Satellite launch vehicle

Iran has developed a first expendable satellite launch vehicle of the Shahab family said to be similar with the DPRK's three stages Taepodong 2 and named Safir SLV. Measuring 22 m in height with a core diameter of 1.25 m, with two TM-185/AK-27I liquid propellant stages, single thrust chambered first stage and two thrust chamber step throttled second stage, the SLV has a lift off mass exceeding 26 tons. The first stage consist of a lengthened up-rated Shahab-3C. The totally new second stage is derived from the Taepodong-1 system. The final spin up orbital insertion solid propellant third stage is of Chinese design. It was designed to place a lightweight (50 kg-100 kg) payload to a 500 km LEO. The lighter sub-orbital all liquid two stages version without orbital injection solid third stage, is known as Kavoshgar-1. It is the civilian version derived from one of at least four known military ASAT systems still in development. Thus the Safir SLV has a height lengthened by 40 percents.

After the year 2000, Iran had acquired the necessary skills to begin initial production of the Shahab-3 rocket. This was followed by indigenous Iranian modifications and improvements, leading to test firing of an improved version (Shahab SLV) in late 2004, that would be used to launch a completely indigenous Omid satellite.This would be followed by the Mesbah, developed in collaboration with Italy by May 2005. The Mesbah-2 satellite would follow. In January 2005, the Zohreh geosynchronous satellite project was approved with a contract signed with Russia.

ub-orbital launches

On February 4, 2008, Iran successfully launched the two stages all liquid propellant sub-orbital rocket Kavoshgar-1 (Explorer-1), made of a Safir-class SLV without orbital injection solid third stage, for a maiden sub-orbital test flight from Sharoud, its newly inaugurated domestic space launch complex. [cite web|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7225699.stm|title= Iranians inaugurate space project|publisher:BBC Online|date=February 4, 2008] [cite web|url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=41636&sectionid=351020101|title=Iran's Kavoshgar1 lifts off for space|publisher:Press TV|date=February 4, 2008] The first stage of the rocket detached after 90 seconds and returned to earth with the help of a parachute while the second stage reached a 200 km altitude before reentering the Earth's atmosphere after 300 seconds. The third section of the rocket containing an atmospheric probe climbed to 250 km while successfully transmitting scientific data on the atmosphere and the electromagnetic waves on its path back to Earth before deploying a parachute after six minutes at a lower altitude for its recovery. According to Iranian state television reports, two more test launches are planned before putting a domestically made satellite into orbit at a date set to be no latter than March 20, 2009. [cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hqgj/2008-02/04/content_6441396.htm|title =伊朗今测试运载火箭 据报近期将发射首颗自制卫星 |publisher= 中国日报网|date=2008-02-04|accessmonthday=August 19|accessyear=2008]

On February 25, 2007, the Iranian state-run television announced that a rocket, carrying unspecified cargo created by the ministries of science and defence, was successfully launched. [cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/25/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Rocket-Launch.php|title=Iran announces rocket launch, believed part of commercial satellite project|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=February 25, 2007|accessdate=February 25|accessyear=2007] This could have been the maiden test flight of the three stages Safir SLV which ended in a failure. The US military doubted the existence of this launch, as it was not detected by NORAD. [cite web|url=http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/26/070226194739.onockgu5.html|title=US doubts Iranian space launch claim|publisher=AFP|date=February 25, 2007|accessdate=February 27|accessyear=2007]

Orbital launches

Iranian authorities announced to their Chinese allies on August 16, 2008 the incomming imminent launch of a satellite. [cite web|url=http://www2.irna.ir/ch/news/view/line-52/0808167168204858.htm|title =伊朗将于下周发射自主生产的卫星 |publisher= 伊通社|date=2008-08-16|accessmonthday=August 18|accessyear=2008] On August 17, 2008 on the occasion of the birthday anniversary of Shiites' 12th Imam Hazrat Mahdi, Iran proceeded as preannounced with the second test launch of a three stages Safir SLV from a site south of Semnan in the northern part of the Dasht-e-Kavir desert. Reza Taghizadeh, head of the Iranian Aerospace Organization, told state television "The Safir (Ambassador) satellite carrier was launched today and for the first time we successfully launched a dummy satellite into orbit". [citeweb|title=Iran says it has put first dummy satellite in orbit |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080817/wl_nm/iran_satellite_dc_4|publisher="Reuters"|accessdate=2008-08-18]

Controversy

In a typical Cold War type evolution that closely match the August 31, 1998, first North Korean Kwangmyongsong 1 satellite failed launch attempt, the unsuccessful test is shrouded with contradictory reports. As Iranian sources boast to have successfully placed the 20 kg Omid communication satellite into a 650 km LEO passing over Iran six times every 24 hours, adversary western anonymous sources claim on the contrary that the totally new second stage broke up during ascent at an altitude above 152 km, destroying the top of the launcher and its nose cone. [ [http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8705270595 Iran Sends First Satellite into Orbit ] ] [cite web|url=http://www2.irna.ir/ch/news/view/menu-334/0808188780141147.htm|title =伊朗成功发射首颗自制卫星|publisher= 伊通社|date=2008-08-18|accessmonthday=August 19|accessyear=2008] [cite web|url=http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gj/zd/news/2008/08-19/1352669.shtml|title =伊朗称运载火箭升空 美国防部官员表怀疑与担心|publisher= 中国新闻网|date=2008-08-19|accessmonthday=August 19|accessyear=2008] [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/08/18/us.iran.rocket/index.html?iref=newssearch Pentagon doubts Iranian rocket test succeeded] ]

atellites

Although Sinah-1, the first Iranian satellite has been built and launched by the Russians on October 28, 2005 on a Kosmos-3 booster rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, making Iran the 43rd country to possess its own satellite. Iran still hopes to become a satellite-launching nation.

A joint research satellite Environment 1 of Iran, China and Thailand was launched on a Chinese Long March 2C carrier rocket on September 6, 2008, aimed at boosting cooperation on natural disasters such as flooding, drought, typhoon, landslide and earthquake. The twin Natural Disaster Monitoring Satellites （“环境与灾害监测小卫星”Ａ、Ｂ） of eight planned were launched from Taiyuan SLC. The satellites will work as a constellation with six other satellites yet to be launched. Its observational footprint is 720 km. With a lifespan of more than three years, they have state-of-the-art imaging systems and infrared cameras and provide a global scan every two days. [cite web|url=http://scitech.people.com.cn/GB/7836524.html|title =“环境减灾”A、B卫星一箭双星发射成功|publisher= 人民网|date=2008-09-06|accessmonthday=September 6|accessyear=2008]

One month after the first orbital launch, on occasion of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced according to a September 25, 2008 state television report, that Iran was soon to launch a satellite. The satellite could possibly be a communication or meteorological research one. [cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2008-08/24/content_9671753.htm|title =伊朗称将发射首颗通信卫星|publisher= 新华网|date=2008-08-24|accessmonthday=September 26|accessyear=2008] Ahmadinejad said the rocket will have 16 engines and will put the 700 ㎏ satellite some 695 km into space. [cite web|url=http://news.ifeng.com/world/other/200809/0926_1396_806638.shtml|title =伊朗总统内贾德称将用国产火箭发射一颗卫星|publisher= 凤凰资讯|date=2008-09-26|accessmonthday=September 26|accessyear=2008]

pace centers

The main launch site of the Iranian Space Agency is Emamshahr, located at coord|36|25|0|N|55|01|0|E|, where suborbital Shahab 3s LV have been launched.
Qom, located at coord|34|39|0|N|50|54|0|E|, is the other launch site.

On occasion of the inaugural launch of Iran's first Safir-class sub-orbital rocket called Kavoshgar-1 (Explorer-1), Iran unveiled on February 4, 2008, her first Satellite Launch Center. The facility includes an underground command and control center, a tracking station and a launchpad among other structures.

Future projects

atellite launch vehicle

A heavy version of the Safir SLV with four additional strap-on solid boosters and enlarged fairing is currently under development, intended to carry payloads up to 200 kg into LEO.

Iran is known to also develop in parallel with the liquid propellant SLV programs a new all-solid SLV. Derived from the new multi-stage Ghadr-110, the payload should exceed 300 kg in LEO.

Among the many Iranian SLVs in development, the most heavy is known as the Shahab-6 SLV, the equivalent of the North Korean Baekdusan-2 SLV and able to put a 550 kg payload into LEO.

atellites

The second Iranian satellite, Sinah-2 should be launched in 2008 also on a Russian rocket [cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/31904609-9FDD-4FEB-BC78-8F0AD6D0173A.htm|title =Iran plans second satellite launch|publisher= Aljazeera|date=April 10, 2006|accessdate=September 14|accessyear=2006] .

The next Iranian satellite, Mesbah should be built by Iran with Italian assistance and launched on a domestically made rocket. The Shahab-4 rocket still in development with an estimated range of convert|2000|mi|km is said to be able to launch satellites in spaceFact|date=June 2007.

The Iranian Space Agency director has declared in 2005 that in order to reach her ambitious goal of ranking among the top 8 spacefaring nations, the government would allocate 500 million USD over the next 5 years to the space program [zh icon [http://military.china.com/zh_cn/critical/25/20051215/12947239.html 伊朗加快引进卫星技术 航天技术进全球前8-中华网-中华军事 ] ] .

According to Mehran Mirshams, deputy head of Iran Aerospace Association, Iranian experts are currently engaged in the development of five satellite projects including Zohreh, Mesbah, ZS4, SM2S and Sepehr, both to be launched before 2010. [cite web|url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2408/html/economy.htm
title =Iran Will Launch Satellite Next Week|publisher= Iran-daily|date=October 22, 2005|accessdate=September 14|accessyear=2006]

Manned space program

As first revealed by the Iranian News Agency on November 21, 2005, the Iranian authorities have disclosed to their close Chinese allies, one of the country main provider of space technologies, the existence of an Iranian manned space program including the development of a manned spacecraft and a space laboratory. Iran Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) head Reza Taghipour on August 20, 2008 revealed Iran intends to launch a manned mission into space within a decade. This goal was described as the country's top priority for the next 10 years, in order to make Iran the leading space power of the region by 2021. The exact date for the mission would be set within six months. [cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3585540,00.html|title='First Iranian in space within decade'|publisher=Ynetnews|date=2008-08-20|accessdate=2008-08-20] [cite news|url=http://en.rian.ru/world/20080820/116164664.html|title='Iran to send first astronaut into space within 10 years'|publisher=RIA Novosti|date=2008-08-20|accessdate=2008-09-11]

According to unofficial Chinese internet sources, an Iranian participation in the future Chinese space station program has been discussed. This involvement might range from simply sending astronauts to the 100 tons class space station to contributing with a space laboratory module. International manned cooperation has officialy been disclosed for the first time after the launch of the Chinese Shenzhou 7 spacecraft. [cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-09/26/content_10114727.htm|title =权威发布:神舟飞船将从神八开始批量生产|publisher= 新华网|date=2008-09-26|accessmonthday=September 26|accessyear=2008]

ee also

*IRIS (missile)
*Zohreh Satellite
*Sinah-1, Iranian satellite
*Mesbah
*Omid (satellite)
*List of Iranian Research Centers
*Iran Aviation Industries Organization

References

External links

* [http://www.isa.ir/en/ Iranian Space Agency]
* [http://www.spacescience.ir Space Science]
* [http://www.astronautix.com/country/iran.htm Iran space program]
* [http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/shaabslv.htm Shahab SLV]
* [http://www.aio.ir/ Aerospace Industries Organization]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OKu04fYgTk Youtube Video on Iran Space Program]