Page 67 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

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New Iran Made Satellite Ready for Launch

President of Iran’s University of Science by the Navid satellite. Earlier, Head of stage of its launch, Azari Jahromi said at
and Technology Jabbar Ali Zakeri said the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) Morteza the time. According to him, the rocket had
that the IUST has delivered the home- Barari said that experts and scientists at successfully passed its first and second
made Zafar satellite to the country’s Space the Tehran-based Amirkabir University stages before developing problems in the
Agency (ISA) to be launched into the orbit of Technology will start the development third. He did not elaborate on what caused
soon. “Zafar satellite has been delivered project of a telecommunication satellite the rocket failure. President of Amir Kabir
to the ISA and the launch procedures are dubbed ‘Payam 2’ by late May. Barari University of Technology Seyed Ahmad
underway at the organization,” Zakeri told said that three development plans for Motamedi underlined in February Iran’s
FNA. He added that the satellite will be building Payam 2 are being reviewed and capability to orbit high-quality satellites
the first spacecraft which will be launched the production operation will commence in an altitude 500km above the Earth. “We
by Iran into the orbit in the next three within three weeks, once the best plan are able to send satellites to the 500-km
months. Zakeri had told FNA in May that is selected. Building the device will take altitude and we can design satellites based
Zafar is designed by experts at research up to four years, he added. The move on international standards,” Motamedi
center of the university and it weighs comes after an earlier version of the said. Iran is one of the 9 superior states
90 kilograms, is equipped with color satellite, dubbed Payam, was successfully in building satellites beside the US,
cameras and can survey the oil reserves, launched into space in January, but the Russia, Europe and Canada. Barari had
mines, jungles, and natural disasters. Iran technical problems that occurred during announced in December 2018 that Iran
launched its first satellite, called Omid the final stage of the launch prevented the was planning to manufacture a home-
(Hope), in February 2009. The Rasad spacecraft from reaching orbit. Following made telecommunication satellite in the
(Observation) satellite was also sent into the incident, Minister of Communications next few years. “Building an indigenized
orbit in June 2011. In February 2012, Iran and Information Technology Mohammad telecommunication satellite within the
successfully put its third domestically Javad Azari Jahromi said that Iran failed next 7 years is atop the ISA’s plans,”
manufactured satellite, named the Navid to orbit Payam satellite successfully. The Barari said. He added that the preliminary
(Promise), into orbit. On February 8, rocket carrying the Payam satellite failed steps had already been taken by Iran
2012, Iran received the first image sent to reach the “necessary speed” in the third to manufacture a telecommunication
satellite by building Nahid 1 and Nahid 2
satellites. Barari underlined that Iran also
planned to build a sensing satellite with a
1-meter precision power in 7 years. Barari
had also announced in October 2018 that
his country was standing among the 9 top
world countries in developing satellites.
He also added that Iran ranked first in the
region in the aerospace sector, explaining
that Iran ranked 14th in the world in 2016
but it jumped three grades and ranked 11th
in the world in 2017.

Blue Canyon Technologies to Build Spacecraft Bus for MethaneSAT

MethaneSAT has selected Blue Canyon designed using BCT’s newest X-SAT line of methane emissions is critical to slowing
Technologies (BCT) to develop and build spacecraft, specifically the X-SAT Saturn- the pace of climate change, and we’re proud
the spacecraft bus for its first mission, Class, which it says can carry payloads that our small-satellite technology will
which is scheduled to launch in 2022. The up to 200 kg. The X-SAT Saturn-Class’s help MethaneSAT and the Environmental
donor-funded mission aims to provide compact profile is intended to maximize Defense Fund with this important mission,”
global, high-resolution detection and the volume, mass and power available for George Stafford, President and CEO of
quantification of methane emissions from the methane measuring instrument. BCT Blue Canyon Technologies said. “Our
oil and gas facilities, as well as measure says it is currently building more than 60 technology will make it less expensive and
emissions from other human-generated spacecraft for government, commercial quicker to launch, allowing them to collect
methane sources. The satellite will be and academic missions. “Reducing more data sooner.”

67 JANUARY 2020