Iran Sends Three Homegrown Satellites Into Orbit From Russia
Iran successfully launched three domestically developed observation satellites into space from Russia on Sunday, state television reported, underscoring continued advances in Tehran’s space program despite ongoing Western sanctions.
The satellites — Zafar-2, Paya and Kowsar 1.5 — were carried into orbit aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia, according to Iranian state media.
Iranian officials said the satellites are intended solely for civilian observation purposes and were designed by private-sector companies. The official IRNA news agency described Paya as Iran’s most advanced imaging satellite to date, noting that it uses artificial intelligence to enhance image quality.
IRNA said the satellite will be used for applications including water resource management, environmental monitoring and geographic mapping.
The semi-official Fars news agency reported that Iran selected the Soyuz launch vehicle because of its global reputation as one of the most reliable rockets for carrying sensitive payloads.Iran has conducted 10 satellite launches over the past two years, including a mission in July from the same Russian launch facility.
Western governments have raised concerns that satellite launch technology could overlap with ballistic missile systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Iranian authorities have repeatedly rejected those claims, insisting their aerospace activities are peaceful and in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions related to the country’s nuclear program.
