Minister: ‘Strategic Achievement’ Opens Space Network Path

TEHRAN – Iran has achieved its first space-based voice communication using a domestically built telecommunications satellite, Nahid-2, in what officials say is a historic step toward building an independent satellite communications infrastructure. 
The development comes amid a wider government initiative to increase satellite launches and deepen the country’s self-sufficiency in space technologies.
Minister of Information and Communications Technology Sattar Hashemi said on Sunday that the Nahid-2 satellite, placed into a 500-kilometer orbit earlier this year, has successfully relayed a voice transmission between two ground stations located in separate parts of the country. 
The satellite, Iran’s first operating in the KU-band, had completed a three-month performance evaluation before the communications test.
“This is the first time in Iran’s space history that a voice packet has been transmitted domestically via an Iranian satellite,” Hashemi told state media. 
“It is a strategic achievement that opens the path for the development of a national space-based communication network.”
The Nahid-2 satellite was launched aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket in August and represents Iran’s most advanced foray into civilian satellite communications. Officials said the technology will be particularly useful in connecting remote and mountainous regions where terrestrial infrastructure is costly or impractical.
Hashemi added that the government is now prioritizing satellite services that can have a tangible impact on the lives of citizens. 
“Our vision is that space technology must directly serve the people,” he said. “Future projects will be geared toward public access, rural connectivity, and disaster resilience.”
Vahid Yazdaniyan, the head of the Iranian Space Research Center, announced on Friday that Iran plans to launch six satellites per year as part of a new, accelerated program aimed at transforming the country’s presence in space.
Speaking in the central city of Isfahan during a nationally televised event, Yazdaniyan said that Iran had overcome significant challenges posed by sanctions to reach a point of operational capability in both satellite construction and launch vehicle technology.
“The pace of satellite manufacturing and deployment has increased sharply,” he said. “What began with limited, experimental missions has now matured into a structured, scalable program with clear objectives. The future of our space industry is bright.”
Yazdaniyan emphasized that the nation had moved beyond the early setbacks of the 1990s, when satellite projects struggled to deliver results. He credited domestic expertise and institutional commitment for the success of more recent missions.
“In the 2000s, we launched our first satellite into orbit. Now, two decades later, we are looking at deploying up to six satellites annually, many of them fully built and operated by Iranian teams,” he said.
Iran’s growing space capabilities also include advancements in satellite launchers (SLVs). Tehran has consistently maintained that its space program is peaceful and civilian in nature, designed to improve communication, weather monitoring, and natural disaster management.
According to Yazdaniyan, the country’s space assets are increasingly being used for economic development and national security, including in areas such as resource monitoring, environmental
 data collection, and rural telecommunications.
“The use of space is no longer abstract or symbolic,” he said. “It now plays a direct role in improving livelihoods, strengthening economic resilience, and enhancing our national capabilities.”
Despite sanctions and technology restrictions, Iran has pushed ahead with a strategy of domestic production and innovation in the aerospace sector. Yazdaniyan said Iran had reached a level of self-reliance that allows it to bypass most international restrictions.
“We have built this industry from the ground up under pressure. Now, not only have we caught up, but we are ready to offer regional services and cooperation,” he said.