Iran Tests Satellite-Carrying Ghaem-100

Date: 05 November 2022 - 21:51

News ID: ۱۰۸۶۴۷

TEHRAN – The Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced Saturday the successful test flight of a rocket capable of propelling satellites into space, three months after launching a satellite with the help of Russia.
National television reported the successful suborbital launch of the satellite launcher named Ghaem-100 and aired dramatic footage of the rocket blasting off from a desert launch pad into a cloudy sky.
“The flight test of this launcher using the Rafe solid-fuel vehicle has been successfully completed,” it said.
The Ghaem-100 rocket was manufactured by the aerospace organization of the IRGC. It is the country’s first three-stage solid-fuel satellite launcher, the channel added.
Ghaem-100 “is capable of placing satellites weighing 80 kilograms (176 pounds) in an orbit 500 kilometers (just over 300 miles) from the surface of the earth,” it said.
Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC aerospace division, said the rocket would be used to launch Iran’s Nahid satellite for the telecommunications ministry.
Saturday’s operation tested the first sub-orbital stage of the rocket, reports said.
Over the past decade, Iran has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit and in 2013 launched a monkey into space. The country successfully put its first military satellite into orbit in April 2020.
In August this year, another Iranian satellite, named Khayyam, was launched by Russia on a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Iran’s space agency said the device was constructed by Russia under Iran’s supervision.
Iran’s space agency said the purpose of Khayyam was to “monitor the country’s borders”, and help with the management of natural resources and agriculture.
Hajizadeh said Saturday arrogant countries, led by the terrorist and evil regime of the United States, are making their utmost efforts to hinder progress of the Iranian people.
“They cannot tolerate the impressive achievements of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The Iranian youths, he said, are making great achievements while the country is facing the “heaviest” sanctions in its history.
The strong Iran would not hesitate to continue its path towards progress and modern technologies, the IRGC commander added.