Iran Drops Plan to Send Human Into Space, Citing Cost

[Godman]

Yup the Iranian goal of putting a man in space in 2018 is extremely unrealistic as India which has launched hundreds of satalites and have far more powerful rockets is still planning on putting a man on space. It's just political showing off. Iran should develop better sats for spying and communications for now

I wish Iran good luck

 

[Oldman1]

The Commander in Chief is the Leader, at this time Khamenei. Strategic decisions, which may include major military decisions like the missile program are made by the SNSC (Supreme National Security Council) with Khamenei's approval.

But something like missile testing would not be a concern of the SNSC or any lower tiers of power. After all, Iran tests missiles for development, training, readiness and sometimes deterrence purposes. By deterrence I mean sometimes when there is a perceived hostile incident or trend (for example if the US imposed some sort of serious sanctions), the IRGC (which operates Iran's ballistic missiles) would set up some sort of military exercise in response. Either the IRGC makes these decisions intentionally (it is an ideologically motivated force), or it will be told to do so through informal channels, like senior commanders being told to do so by Khamenei directly or by his aides, whenever they may meet.

So would Khamenei prevent the launch of humans in space, in attempt to placate the U.S. and other countries?

 

[AmirPatriot]

So would Khamenei prevent the launch of humans in space, in attempt to placate the U.S. and other countries?

Khamenei would rarely want to placate the US in any situation, but I don't think launching a human into space is an issue of national security.

 

[MultaniGuy]

When Iran’s scientists sent a monkey into space in 2013, the country’s president volunteered to be the first Iranian to blast aloft in a domestically built rocket, possibly as early as 2018.

But the term of that president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also expired in 2013. And now, apparently, so have Iran’s ambitions for homegrown human spaceflight.

The semiofficial ILNA news agency reported on Wednesday that the government-run space agency had canceled a project to launch a human-carrying rocket. It quoted Mohammad Homayoun Sadr, deputy head of the agency, as saying the $15 billion to $20 billion developmental costs over 15 years had been judged too expensive, according to a translation by The Associated Press.

In January 2013, when Iran said it had successfully launched a monkey named Pishgam — Persian for pioneer — more than 70 miles into the edge of space and then retrieved the animal alive, the experiment was regarded by Iranian scientists as a prelude to human flight within five to eight years. Previously, Iran had sent a mouse, a turtle and worms aloft.


Elated over the success, Mr. Ahmadinejad declared, “I’m ready to be the first Iranian to sacrifice myself for our country’s scientists.”

Less than a year ago, the Iranian space agency was claiming that it had made advances toward human spaceflight, even showing off a mock-up of a capsule.

Adversaries of Iran have long been concerned about its space program, largely because the rocket science used to launch a human payload could also apply to a nuclear warhead delivered via a ballistic missile.

But in 2015, under Mr. Ahmadinejad’s successor, Hassan Rouhani, Iran reached an agreement with world powers to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for eased economic sanctions.

Mr. Rouhani, who was just re-elected to a second term, has faced growing concerns over high unemployment and other economic problems in Iran that have persisted despite the easing of nuclear-related sanctions.

So it is hardly a surprise that the plan of joining the small group of nations that have sent humans into space has been set aside.

“If they’re going to sustain robust growth, they need to spend on productivity-enhancing investments and creating jobs,” said Cliff Kupchan, the chairman of the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy that follows Iran.

“Nice-to-have, prestige projects will be vulnerable,” Mr. Kupchan said. “This space project seems to be a casualty.”

Charles P. Vick, an independent analyst formerly with GlobalSecurity.org, a defense intelligence research group, said Iran’s scientists had also encountered “a lot of technical problems” in developing launch vehicles for human spaceflight.

“They were really trying to take on something that was far larger than they perceived,” Mr. Vick said. “Dreams are wonderful, but dreams have to come down to reality.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/world/middleeast/iran-space.html?_r=0

Iran is a country under sanctions.

I doubt Iran could do such an accomplishment.

 

[Fafnir]

Iran is a country under sanctions.

I doubt Iran could do such an accomplishment.

You`d be surprised at what iran has achieved even when sanctioned,by comparison pakistan couldnt even build its section of the ip pipeline despite badly needing the energy it would have provided for fear of angering its saudi/usraeli overlords.
Now as for iran putting a man into space,well I suggest you google the term "sub orbital space flight",because that was how the first american astronaut alan sheppard made it in to space.

 

[VEVAK]

When Iran’s scientists sent a monkey into space in 2013, the country’s president volunteered to be the first Iranian to blast aloft in a domestically built rocket, possibly as early as 2018.

But the term of that president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also expired in 2013. And now, apparently, so have Iran’s ambitions for homegrown human spaceflight.

The semiofficial ILNA news agency reported on Wednesday that the government-run space agency had canceled a project to launch a human-carrying rocket. It quoted Mohammad Homayoun Sadr, deputy head of the agency, as saying the $15 billion to $20 billion developmental costs over 15 years had been judged too expensive, according to a translation by The Associated Press.

In January 2013, when Iran said it had successfully launched a monkey named Pishgam — Persian for pioneer — more than 70 miles into the edge of space and then retrieved the animal alive, the experiment was regarded by Iranian scientists as a prelude to human flight within five to eight years. Previously, Iran had sent a mouse, a turtle and worms aloft.


Elated over the success, Mr. Ahmadinejad declared, “I’m ready to be the first Iranian to sacrifice myself for our country’s scientists.”

Less than a year ago, the Iranian space agency was claiming that it had made advances toward human spaceflight, even showing off a mock-up of a capsule.

Adversaries of Iran have long been concerned about its space program, largely because the rocket science used to launch a human payload could also apply to a nuclear warhead delivered via a ballistic missile.

But in 2015, under Mr. Ahmadinejad’s successor, Hassan Rouhani, Iran reached an agreement with world powers to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for eased economic sanctions.

Mr. Rouhani, who was just re-elected to a second term, has faced growing concerns over high unemployment and other economic problems in Iran that have persisted despite the easing of nuclear-related sanctions.

So it is hardly a surprise that the plan of joining the small group of nations that have sent humans into space has been set aside.

“If they’re going to sustain robust growth, they need to spend on productivity-enhancing investments and creating jobs,” said Cliff Kupchan, the chairman of the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy that follows Iran.

“Nice-to-have, prestige projects will be vulnerable,” Mr. Kupchan said. “This space project seems to be a casualty.”

Charles P. Vick, an independent analyst formerly with GlobalSecurity.org, a defense intelligence research group, said Iran’s scientists had also encountered “a lot of technical problems” in developing launch vehicles for human spaceflight.

“They were really trying to take on something that was far larger than they perceived,” Mr. Vick said. “Dreams are wonderful, but dreams have to come down to reality.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/world/middleeast/iran-space.html?_r=0

Sending a man into space in a small capsule requires the development of many technologies & equipment that are NOT duel use in nature and have no other application other than manned space flight and that money is far better spent in the development of larger SLV and launch of a multi ton sat capable of reaching GEO orbit OR a network of multiple satellites in a circular orbit and until Iran has done those things, sending a man into orbit with Iran's current budget is more a waist of time and resources than a capability!

Plus with $20 Billion USD Iran can build 40,000 cruise missiles at $500,000 each and at half a million USD per missile Iran can easily build a cruise missiles capable of reaching over 2000 km that's equipped with advanced INS, Terrain Counter Mapping and digital image detection and mapping that will give the missile the capability to hit any fixed target with a CEP of 20 ft or less.
That will not only create more high tech jobs for more people with may of technologies that will be duel use but it will also give Iran the capability to overwhelm any Air Defense System! And R&D for mass production should even cost $2 Billion USD and at max $5Billion divide that in a span of 10 years and that's only $2.5 Billion USD a year that gives Iran a capability that only a fool would test!

 

[MultaniGuy]

You`d be surprised at what iran has achieved even when sanctioned,by comparison pakistan couldnt even build its section of the ip pipeline despite badly needing the energy it would have provided for fear of angering its saudi/usraeli overlords.
Now as for iran putting a man into space,well I suggest you google the term "sub orbital space flight",because that was how the first american astronaut alan sheppard made it in to space.

lol, lets see what happens.

Iran is not scientifically more advanced than Pakistan is.

 

[VEVAK]

lol, lets see what happens.

Iran is not scientifically more advanced than Pakistan is.

You are deluded if you believe that statement to be true! Yes there are specific fields where Pakistan is more advanced than Iran but you can count the number of specific fields on the fingers of one hand! But overall Pakistan has neither the scientific nor the industrial capability to even compete with Iran and that fact is evident in both the products produced by both countries & in the scientific papers published by both!