Iranian Space program

[HGV]

were there any news from missile launch in iran from USA ? they always tracked and announced such things

Under Trump mostly yes but actually since then they don't announce it. They didn't announce Khorramshahr or Qased launches for example.

 

[Daylamite Warrior]

Well Iran has a history of covering up failed launches. Given the history we can speculate can't we? Also just few weeks back they were saying Nahid-1 would be launched in coming weeks onboard Ghaem-100 SLV. So where is this launch? It would make sense if it took place but failed and is now being covered up.

This is bullshit, Iran always fesses up when a launch fails, just very discreetly with good reason. Again, more shill-like assumptions.

 

[glablo]

NOATM is not uncommon.
In Iran, NOATM is set up all over the country in March alone.
Not surprisingly, February is no different, almost every month.

If you only find an indistinct scorch mark, you can claim a rocket launch failure every time!

 

[TheImmortal]

Since Safir's retirment Simorgh has failed over and over again, Zuljunah is flying on "test" launches for last 2 years and now Ghaem-100 has failed a orbital launch. Only reason iran has had a successful orbital launch since 2015 is because of Qased SLV which is powered by SCUD technology in it's main booster stage!

You realize that Safir had the majority of launch failures of all of Iran’s SLVs? That’s why they abandoned it. As the satellites got more heavy the failures compounded. It was a bad design with multiple failure points. Simorgh problem was its second stage (underpowered) which is why it’s getting redesigned as Sarir. But Simorgh used 4 cluster Nodong engines, so again the compounding problem continued.

 

[K210]

You realize that Safir had the majority of launch failures of all of Iran’s SLVs?

Yes but it also had the most launches of any Iranian SLV. So more failures is expected.

If you only find an indistinct scorch mark, you can claim a rocket launch failure every time!

Yes you are quite right. Without hard evidence all we can do is speculate which is what we are doing. Iranian's prior to 2019 never used to disclose launch failures. I remember in July 2017 a Simorgh launch was initially announced as a "test" with no payload on board then few years later in 2020 we were told it had Tolou satellite on board and was supposed to launch to 500 km Circular LEO but failed 20 seconds into the second stage burn.

 

[HGV]

You realize that Safir had the majority of launch failures of all of Iran’s SLVs?

I don't think that's true. Safir had 4/6 successful orbital launches (2 failures), Simorgh has had 0/3 successful orbital launches (at least 3 failures, one more is disputed). Safir also had 2/2 successful sub-orbital launches while Simorgh had 1/2 successful sub-orbital launches.

Regardless, Safir is indeed not suitable for inserting even 50kg satellites into a 500km LEO and there is not much point in reverting to it now that there is Qased which has shown to be capable of reliably inserting a similar c. 20kg class satellite into 500km LEO.

 

[TheImmortal]

I don't think that's true. Safir had 4/6 successful orbital launches (2 failures), Simorgh has had 0/3 successful orbital launches (at least 3 failures, one more is disputed). Safir also had 2/2 successful sub-orbital launches while Simorgh had 1/2 successful sub-orbital launches.

There were plenty of launches that didn’t get covered because they failed with regards to Safir. If you look at what Safir is compromised of you can see why it’s not a significant SLV for payloads greater than 25kg.

Jeffrey Lewis from Arms Control Wonk did a good write up on Iranian space program, I suggest you read it.

 

[TheImmortal]

Yes but it also had the most launches of any Iranian SLV. So more failures is expected.

Because it is literally using Schwab-3 engines. It’s ancient tech. Iran literally looked at their BM tech of the time (2008) and naturally choose the SCUD engines as its power source for its SLV. That is because it had no other choice! The only other powerful missile they had was Sejill, which was still considered cutting engine tech and a solid fuel. No way IRGC was turning that over to the spy den that is ISA.

Safir Payload was restricted to 25kg anything more and failure of insertion would be more likely. It was already being pushed beyond its design capacities until it was retired (I believe last launch was under Trump)

I can’t believe users on here are advocating for return to SCUD tech from 30-40 years ago, just so they can see a microsatellite make it to orbit. Who cares about success when it’s just tiny little Sputnik like satellites? Makes zero strategic difference for Iran and they fall out of orbit in 18-24 months.

Iran needs to get to GEO and heavy launch capability LEO and that requires new designs and new engines(which it is doing). Not glorified SCUDs with paint jobs using tech from 1960s.

 

[aryobarzan]

Time to get excited again..or just another empty promise from Iran's civilian Space Agency

ZAFAR-2 will be launched within next 3 months.

ZAFARs are environmental Satellites.ZAFAR-2 camera is capable of taking color photos and survey oil reserves, mines, forests, and natural lands.

• Zafar-2 has a ground resolution of 16 meters (ZAFAR-1 was 25 meters) and weight around 113 kilograms.
• 95% of components of ZAFAR-2 are made in Iran
• Zafars are planned to orbit at 530 kilometers

Zafar satellite can also create land use maps, urban development monitoring maps, agricultural land boundary maps, and natural land and forest change maps, as well as monitor permanent and seasonal lake changes and identify post-disaster demolition in urban areas and upgrade structural maps (fault and folding identification).
«عیسی زارع‌پور» وزیر ارتباطات و فناوری اطلاعات اواخر سال گذشته در حاشیه مراسم روز ملی فناوری فضایی اعلام کرد ماهواره «ظفر» در سه ماه نخست ۱۴۰۲ پرتاب می‌شود.

اواخر بهمن ۱۳۹۸ ماهواره ظفر ۱ با ماهواره‌بر سیمرغ پرتاب شد، اما سرعت تزریق آن به حد ممکن نرسید و نتوانست در مدار باقی بماند. پس از این اتفاق، وزارت ارتباطات از ساخت ماهواره ظفر خبر داد. نمونه دوم ماهواره ظفر، ماهواره‌ای با همان ماموریت‌های ظفر ۱ اما با کیفیت و امکانات بیشتر است.

ماهواره سنجش از دور ظفر که نتیجه تلاش چند ساله دانشمندان حوزه فضایی است، در دانشگاه علم و صنعت و در ۲ نسخه ساخته شد. ماهواره‌ای که نسخه نخست آن با دوربین تصویربرداری با کیفیت ۲۵ متر پرتاب شد اما نتوانست به سرعت مدنظر برسد و فرایند قرارگیری آن در مدار موردنظر به صورت ۱۰۰درصد موفقیت‌آمیز نبود.

دومین نسخه این ماهواره که به دوربین ۱۶ متری مجهز شده، در صف پرتاب قرار دارد و به‌زودی به مدار تزریق خواهد شد. ۹۵ درصد از تجهیزات این ماهواره، تولید بومی است.

 

[HGV]

Still waiting for Nahid-1 and Nahid-2 to be inserted into orbit.

 

[TheImmortal]

If I had a kabob for everytime ISA revealed a satellite, talked about satellite, scheduled a launch, talked about future launches.

I could probably feed half of Iran.

 

[glablo]

Still waiting for Nahid-1 and Nahid-2 to be inserted into orbit.

The lack of announcements so far suggests that Nahid may really have disappeared into space.
It can't be helped, it happens all the time.
In my country, just last month, a $300 million satellite disappeared into space after a failed launch of H3.

 

[aryobarzan]

Just to put some fire under the Iranian Space agency officials ..
We lost 8 years of development because of Rouhani as* hole selling our space program and nuclear program to the west for no gains (oh yes I forgot.. may be we got those 3 ATR planes that they honored us by taking our money ..the 3 ATR are sitting on tarmac because they can not be serviced now)

Indian SLV..LV_III Liftes 5800 Kilogram payload. Ten years ago Iran was not far from India in space race but now we are far from India. They just tested their reusable shuttle. And we are waiting to lift 100 kilo.

 

[SalarHaqq]

Just to put some fire under the Iranian Space agency officials ..
We lost 8 years of development because of Rouhani as* hole selling our space program and nuclear program to the west for no gains (oh yes I forgot.. may be we got those 3 ATR planes that they honored us by taking our money ..the 3 ATR are sitting on tarmac because they can not be serviced now)

By contrast, the Raisi administration compared to its predecessors broke every record in terms of launch frequencies.

Indian SLV..LV_III Liftes 5800 Kilogram payload. Ten years ago Iran was not far from India in space race but now we are far from India. They just tested their reusable shuttle. And we are waiting to lift 100 kilo.
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Iran lost valuable time under the liberal and western-appeasing Rohani administration no doubt. On a side note, I spotted several flags of western regimes on that Indian SLV. Iran has been all on her own by contrast.

 

[aryobarzan]

By contrast, the Raisi administration compared to its predecessors broke every record in terms of launch frequencies.



Iran lost valuable time under the liberal and western-appeasing Rohani administration no doubt. On a side note, I spotted several flags of western regimes on that Indian SLV. Iran's all on her own by contrast.

Quite happy with Raisi approach indeed..he was smart enough to understand the importance of space and went for it from the get-go.. lets hope he can recover some of the time lost...

One more thing..If you want to have space program you should not be afraid of failure.. if it fails then show it but make sure you understood why it happened and fix it for the next launch..hoping it will not happen again does not work...not for space.