Single-Launch Deployment of Three Shahid Soleimani Satellites
TEHRAN — Iran plans to place three satellites from its Shahid Soleimani satellite constellation into orbit in a single launch before the end of the current Iranian year, Communications and Information Technology Minister Sattar Hashemi said Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion of Journalists’ Day, Hashemi described the Shahid Soleimani constellation as one of the most important projects in Iran’s space program and said the government is pursuing it with a practical approach focused on turning space capabilities into useful services.
The Shahid Soleimani constellation consists of 18 operational satellites and six reserve satellites, making 24 satellites in total. “We hope to place three satellites from this constellation into orbit in a single launch before the end of the current year,” Hashemi said. He said the development of the constellation is strategically important because of the different capabilities offered by various satellite orbits.
According to Hashemi, two particularly important orbits in the space
sector are geostationary orbit (GEO), at an altitude of around 36,000 kilometers, and low Earth orbit (LEO), at around 500 kilometers.
GEO satellites have the advantage of remaining apparently fixed over a particular point on Earth because they are synchronized with the planet’s rotation. However, the greater distance results in higher signal latency. LEO satellites, by contrast, provide lower latency and higher-quality communications, but their high orbital speed means they do not remain fixed over a particular location.
For this reason, Hashemi said moving toward satellite constellations, including the Shahid Soleimani constellation, is a strategic step toward ensuring stable communications and continuous services.
The minister said Iran’s space industry is increasingly playing a role in telecommunications, remote sensing and the management of land and natural resources. The development of remote-sensing satellites and LEO satellite constellations, he added, is strengthening the sector’s position as an essential part of the country’s infrastructure.
Hashemi said the government’s approach is also changing from simply achieving space technology to making practical use of those capabilities to address major national challenges.
One example is the government’s plan under the Seventh Development Plan and Article 65 to connect villages with more than 20 households to the internet and the National Information Network.
He said terrestrial infrastructure cannot be economically or technically developed in some hard-to-reach areas, making satellite communications necessary.
“For a small percentage of villages, terrestrial coverage is not possible, and we have to move toward satellite coverage,” Hashemi said.
He added that the government intends to use the country’s space capabilities to address concrete needs rather than treating the sector solely as a technological field. Under this approach, public resources and capabilities would be directed toward solving practical problems and creating demand for space-based services.
Hashemi also outlined a planned shift in the economic model of Iran’s space industry, saying the country is seeking to move from the traditional Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) model toward a Demand-User-Interaction (DUI) model.
Under the new approach, he said, applications and services that meet actual needs would help generate their own financial resources, allowing the space industry to move toward greater economic sustainability and service delivery.
The minister said space technology could also contribute to the management of the country’s water bodies and natural resources. He pointed to cooperation with the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade and said investment opportunities were being explored in this area.
He also referred to cooperation with Iran’s judiciary on land management, saying the use of space-based capabilities could help prevent a number of disputes and legal challenges faced by citizens.
Hashemi said the administration considers the space industry a strategic and central priority, pointing to recent milestones including the placement of the Nahid-2 telecommunications satellite into a 500-kilometer orbit, the simultaneous launch of three satellites and greater use of private-sector capabilities.
He also disclosed damage to Iran’s space infrastructure during the recent imposed war.
According to Hashemi, the Iranian Space Research Center in Tehran, located on Sheikh Fazlollah Nouri Expressway, as well as research institutes in several provinces and space stations in Salmas and Qeshm, came under attack during the terrorist U.S.-Israeli war.
He expressed relief that the attacks caused no fatalities and emphasized that Iran’s most important asset in the space industry is its specialized human capital.
“We are very hopeful that, through the efforts of our colleagues and cooperation with the country’s universities, we can continue this path,” he said, adding that universities are the main drivers of technological development in space projects, while the Iranian Space Research Center serves a guiding and central role.
Hashemi said most employees of the Iranian Space Research Center have been relocated to new facilities and resumed their work, ensuring that the damage did not disrupt the advancement of ongoing projects.
He also pointed to growing private-sector and international interest in satellite constellations. Hashemi said MTN, the business partner of Iran’s MTN Irancell, had commissioned a report prepared with the assistance of international consultants that recommended increased investment in satellite constellations.
According to the minister, the report identified satellite constellations as a serious competitor to the expansion of mobile and terrestrial communications infrastructure.
Hashemi said Iran’s objective is ultimately to establish a space industry that not only develops advanced technologies but also turns those capabilities into sustainable services capable of meeting the country’s telecommunications, environmental and resource-management needs.