Iran says to send "Fajr" satellite into space by March

(ISNA)-The Head of Iranian Space Agency Hamid Fazeli said the country would launch "Fajr" satellite into space by March 2012.

"The satellite dubbed Fajr "Dawn" is undergoing certain tests and experiments to be prepared for launching and we hope it will be sent into space by March after researchers confirmed its readiness," he said.

Also regarding launch of "Kavoshgar 5" (Explorer 5), scheduled for summer, he said, "The launching operation will occur when scientists declare the satellite's readiness in the near future."

He continued the project is being studied by Iranian scientists who are carrying out reforms, studies and sub-system tests.

Also regarding "Besharat" satellite to be built jointly by Iran and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), he said, "Technical features of the remote-sensing satellite is under investigation and it will be put into practice after it was finalized and funded by Islamic countries."

Iran has already said that it planned to build a new satellite in collaboration with the OIC member states.

Iran has recently taken wide strides in aerospace. The country sent the first biocapsule of living creatures into space in February, using its home-made Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) carrier.

Iran announced in February that it planned to unveil and send two recently-built satellites into space in the near future.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced in 2010 that Iran planned to send astronauts into space in 2024. But later he said that the issue had gone under a second study at a cabinet meeting and that the cabinet had decided to implement the plan in 2019, five years earlier than the date envisaged in the original plan.

Omid (Hope) was Iran's first research satellite that was designed for gathering information and testing equipment. After orbiting for three months, Omid successfully completed its mission without any problem. It completed more than 700 orbits over seven weeks and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on April 25, 2009.

After launching Omid, Tehran unveiled three new satellites called Tolou, Mesbah II and Navid. Iran has also unveiled its latest achievements in designing and producing satellite carriers very recently.

A new generation of home-made satellites and a new satellite carrier called Simorgh (Phoenix) were among the latest achievements unveiled by Iran's aerospace industries.