Iranian Space program

[TheImmortal]

Any NOTAMs issued?

 

[mohsen]

Unless they are testing deploy mechanism and launch platform, I cannot see them leaving the SLV in vertical position for too long prior to launch .... The structure's weigh will start to warp the structure... Hence I think launch windows is near or imminent.

Archive photo. Jahromi is faking as usual.

 

[PeeD]

So a Vega-like, even larger SLV is coming for satellites.

Simorgh evolution to Sarir could have following background: Iran needs a liquid fuel missile for its potential manned program. A liquid fuel SLV can be shut down if a problem occurs, is lower on vibration and most importantly: After 20 years work and production of the original Shahab-3 engine, it may now have reached such reliability levels that it can be safely used in a manned program.
We don't know about the second stage engine but those motors would also need to be very reliable and so much of higher performance that the payload is increased sufficiently to allow for a lightweight single astronaut capsule.
Second stage efficiency defines much of the possible payload and the increase from Simorgh to Sarir would have to be significant.
So best would be the RD-217 the North Koreans use, sure but it could retain the Simorgh first stage engines due to reliability issues. But then it would also need a very high performance second stage that is very reliable too. So I guess the second stage may be a RD-217 variant that is deemed as reliable enough if it is just a single engine and not a cluster of four that must all work flawlessly like in the first stage.
At this point the 9m longer length of the Sarir must be taken into consideration and its uniform diameter: The weight increase is likely to be more than the Simorgh stage-1 cluster can accelerate fast enough. If thats the case, new engines in RD-217 class are needed. Plus at that volume increase even a 3-stage solution becomes a possibility, which would again increase lift capability.

To all of this economy considerations may be made: Those high production numbers of the Shahab-3/Ghadr engine, makes it very competitive.

My speculation on the Sarir:
~100t vehicle weight
~160t lift-off thrust (4 Ghadr cluster)
~40t second stage thrust (Khorramshahr engine optimized for vacuum operation)
~15t third stage thrust (8 instead of 4-cluster Simorgh second stage engine)
~1,5t payload to LEO

In that configuration, proven engines with high serial production numbers that are not too expensive would be employed. Ultimate goal would be to safely deliver a single-man astronaut capsule into LEO.
Heavy equipment haul would be done by the new solid SLV, while liquid only for astronaut transit.

I rechecked the thrust profile and compared it with similar foreign systems, here the revision of that first analysis:

Irans goal with the Sarir and in that sense Simorgh "demonstrator" is a analogue to the Russian Kosmos-3M.

Same first stage thrust and same diameter.

Based on this "only" a about twice as powerful second stage than the current Simorgh's is needed to achieve the same performance as the Kosmos-3M.
The performance of the Kosmos-3M is 1500kg to a LEO and 750 to a SSO.
Just due to increased length and 2x thrust in the second stage.
That 2 times higher thrust can be easily achieved by 8 instead of 4 Simorgh second stage motors and this would easily fit into the increased diameter from 1,5m to 2,4m.
Of course it would be better to use 4 stronger second stage motors and Iran has been working on exactly that since at least 2010.

So the evolution to a truly effective SLV is simpler than I expected in that first analysis, the Simorgh has all basic parameters necessary.

That performance would be sufficient for a small capsule like Iran is developing.
The Sarir would be 2,5m longer than the Kosmos-3M which should be due to a Saman like third booster stage, which in turn should improve its effective performance over the Kosmos-3M.

Many seperate SSO payloads are what Iran really needs for its spysat constellation in the mid decade.

 

[Messerschmitt]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1222685253715681280

https://twitter.com/x/status/1222692251622498304

https://twitter.com/x/status/1222692252977205248

 

[Philosopher]

This Sarir should have been ready years ago... I remember the first news about it came out around 2012...

 

[Arminkh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1222685253715681280

https://twitter.com/x/status/1222692251622498304

https://twitter.com/x/status/1222692252977205248

Somebody tell him Soroush will be solid fuel not liquid.

 

[TheImmortal]

This Sarir should have been ready years ago... I remember the first news about it came out around 2012...

Entire SLV program is behind schedule probably due to death of Tehrani Moghdam and his group of scientists.

In 10 years North Korea went from the failure that was Tapedong 1&2 to H-14, H-15, and H-16 ICBM. Iran still sitting in Shahrud testing engines on stands.

Looks more likely that China passed RD-250
Tech to North Korea to protect NK from any US attempts at regime change by having ICBM retaliatory nuclear strike on the table.

Now with Soroush confirmed to be “distant” future and Iran “hopeful” for solid fuel SLVs “soon”. Looks like we will have to spend a decade with the Sarir SLV before seeing anything substantial. Can’t believe it took 10 years to add a 3rd stage to Simorgh.

I also blame the Syrian civil war/sanctions as Iran has been rumored to have spent billions (some estimates say 15B which means 1.5B dollars per year) during the 10 year war, ultimately that drove funding away from different programs.

 

[Philosopher]

Entire SLV program is behind schedule probably due to death of Tehrani Moghdam and his group of scientists.

In 10 years North Korea went from the failure that was Tapedong 1&2 to H-14, H-15, and H-16 ICBM. Iran still sitting in Shahrud testing engines on stands.

Looks more likely that China passed RD-250
Tech to North Korea to protect NK from any US attempts at regime change by having ICBM retaliatory nuclear strike on the table.

Now with Soroush confirmed to be “distant” future and Iran “hopeful” for solid fuel SLVs “soon”. Looks like we will have to spend a decade with the Sarir SLV before seeing anything substantial. Can’t believe it took 10 years to add a 3rd stage to Simorgh.

I also blame the Syrian civil war/sanctions as Iran has been rumored to have spent billions (some estimates say 15B which means 1.5B dollars per year) during the 10 year war, ultimately that drove funding away from different programs.

His death definitely had an impact, but another issue is that we're seeing the space program being affected by politics. That's what happens when you let politicians play around with these very important technologies. If things were allowed to take their normal/speeding up pace, Iran probably would have already had the Soroush ready.

 

[TheImmortal]

His death definitely had an impact, but another issue is that we're seeing the space program being affected by politics. That's what happens when you let politicians play around with these very important technologies. If things were allowed to take their normal/speeding up pace, Iran probably would have already had the Soroush ready.

IRGC develops SLVs. Politics has nothing to do with it. Politics can delay launches and postpone certain things, but no one other that Rahbar can tell IRGC not to build something.

Sarir simply was not ready. If it was then you would hear IRGC complain like they did a few years ago when they said Simorgh has been ready, but Rouhani won’t launch it.

 

[Philosopher]

IRGC develops SLVs. Politics has nothing to do with it. Politics can delay launches and postpone certain things, but no one other that Rahbar can tell IRGC not to build something.

Sarir simply was not ready. If it was then you would hear IRGC complain like they did a few years ago when they said Simorgh has been ready, but Rouhani won’t launch it.

This is exactly my point. The space program is not independent like the IRGC missile program is. Clearly politics caused the space program to significantly slow down. Just look at the abysmal launch rates.

 

[K210]

@SOHEIL

Any news on possible safir launch after simorgh?

 

[Sineva]

This is exactly my point. The space program is not independent like the IRGC missile program is. Clearly politics caused the space program to significantly slow down. Just look at the abysmal launch rates.

Yeah,that and having its budget slashed to nothing....

 

[Cthulhu]

 

[skyshadow]

this will show that Iran has plans to build and use bigger and more advanced satellites in future



construction of the archive and processing center for satellite data has began.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1222891890309095428

 

[GWXP]

Possibly Sarir SLV with 2.4 meter diameter is a Hwasong -15 (also 2,4 m diameter) which has RD-250 engine based on more efficient (compared to Simorgh) hypergolic propellant.

So Sarir might be a test proven Hwasong-15 + additional upper stage

This will allow Iran not just to develop more efficient SLV but also liquid fuel ICBM technology.

Surush 4 meter diameter first stage + 2m diameter 2nd stage + thirds and fourth stage

The second+thirds+fourth stage of Surush might be a potential solid fuel ICBM