A Russian rocket carrying a payload of satellites into orbit – together with two from Iran – blasted off efficiently, Russia’s Roscosmos area company mentioned, in a transfer seen as reflecting the rising cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.
The Soyuz-2.1 spacecraft lifted off as scheduled from the Vostochny Cosmodrome launchpad in far jap Russia and put its payload into a delegated orbit 9 minutes after the launch on Tuesday.
Roscosmos mentioned that two Russian Ionosfera-M satellites – designed to watch the area climate round Earth – and 53 small satellites, together with two from Iran, have been positioned into orbit efficiently.
Among the many 53 small satellites, the 2 Iranian satellites have been recognized because the Kowsar, a high-resolution imaging satellite tv for pc, and Hodhod, a small communications satellite tv for pc. A Russian-Chinese language pupil satellite tv for pc, Druzhba ATURK, was additionally positioned into orbit.
The Iranian satellites are the primary launched on behalf of the nation’s non-public sector, with the Kowsar manufactured by the Omidfaza firm, which started designing the satellite tv for pc in 2019, Iran’s official IRNA information company reported.
The Kowsar has an anticipated lifespan of three years and the Hodhod ought to function for 4 years, in response to the IRNA.
Iran’s Kowsar, Hodhod satellites efficiently launched pic.twitter.com/OQki7GrrUD
— IRNA Information Company (@IrnaEnglish) November 5, 2024
In 2022, a Russian rocket launched an Iranian Earth statement satellite tv for pc known as Khayyam, which was in-built Russia at Tehran’s request. Russia put one other Iranian satellite tv for pc named Pars-1 into orbit in February.
The Pars-1 is a analysis satellite tv for pc that can scan Iran’s topography from orbit, Iran’s state media reported on the time.
The newest satellite tv for pc launch comes as Russia and Iran broaden ties in numerous spheres, and amid mounting criticism from Ukraine and the West that Tehran has offered Moscow with drones to be used in assaults on Ukrainian targets.
Moscow and Tehran are additionally planning to additional bolster their ties with a “complete strategic partnership”, set to be signed throughout Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s deliberate go to to Russia, the date for which has but to be confirmed.
Russia’s satellite tv for pc launches comply with a collection of failed launches suffered by Iran’s civilian area programme lately, together with 5 failed launches in a row for the Simorgh programme, a satellite-carrying rocket.
A separate Iranian area programme run by the nation’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps has seen profitable launches from a navy base outdoors of Shahroud, positioned east of the capital, Tehran.
Satellite tv for pc pictures analysed by The Related Press present that Israel could have bombed the location throughout its October 26 assault on Iran.
Iran mentioned on the time that the Israeli assault had induced minimal injury.
