Iran launched its first satellite, Omid (“Hope”) in 2009, and sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in 2010. The director of Iran Space Agency, Hamid Fazeli, announced last October that Iran will launch three satellites into space (Fajr, Tadbir and Sharif) in the current Iranian calendar year, which ends on 20 March.
File photo: Safir SLV (Press TV)
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It should be noted that in the announcement made last October by Iran Space Agency of launching three satellites, including Fajr, during this Iranian calendar year, Simorgh SLV was identified as the launch vehicle. Iranian news agencies report on the launch of Fajr today, however, identified the SLV involved as Safir. The Simorgh rocket was not used probably because the launch stand that could support Simorgh has not yet been installed at Khomeini Space Center.
That photo montage includes a file image of a Safir SLV and not the one most recently launched.
Do you have any information about the 27 meter rocket currently in standby on the launch pad near Tehran which was on the news last week? Does it have anything to do with Ghaem rocket (with 3.5 m diameter and 20 m length first stage solid fuel) that is planned to carry satellites to Geo orbit?
Correct. That's precisely why we called it 'file photo.' At the time of posting, we did not have the actual picture of the Safir SLV that launched the satellite today.
I believe you are referring to Israel's Channel 2 report of 21 January, picked up by other outlets, which was based on an EROS-B satellite image of a new facility in Semnan's Khomeini Space Center. IHS Jane's 360 said yesterday that the facility is probably designed for Simorgh SLV. Channel 2 said the 27-m missile could hit targets far beyond Europe. Although Simorgh SLV is theoretically capable of ICBM ranges, but the payload it can carry is far too small for an ICBM. Jane's estimates that Simorgh will be able to lift a payload of just 100 kg into orbit.
Based on the photos published by Israel channel 2 TV, can we conclude that the launch pad in the photo is the Khomeini center launch pad? The Khomeini center launch pad is 45 meter high. It can accommodate rockets taller than Simorgh SLV. Based on your comment can we conclude that the 27 m rocket have something to do with Ghaem ICBM project?
The analysts at Jane's believe the launchsite is for Simorgh SLV. If so, and based on those images, it appears that Iran has completed infrastructure work for the new rocket, and we could witness a launch sooner than later. If Iran used that launchsite to put satellite into the orbit aboard Simorgh, then that would answer our question.
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