Iran to launch 3 more satellites into space: ICT minister

Iran’s minister of information and communications technology says the country plans to send a new domestically-manufactured satellite into space by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (ending on March 20, 2017).

Mahmoud Vaezi said on Wednesday that the probe called Sharif Sat would be put into orbit by the end of the year, adding that Iran planned to send two more satellites into space by the end of the next Iranian calendar year (which ends on March 20, 2018).

The three satellites have been manufactured by young Iranian experts in research centers at the country’s universities, the minister said.

He also said that Iran was about to sign a contract with a Russian company on the manufacture of a remote-sensing satellite.

“The contract is in final stages. The letter of credit to finance the contract has also been finalized and the work will begin within the next two or three weeks,” Vaezi said.

The minister also said that Iran had embarked on manufacturing a telecommunications satellite, and that the country was in talks with a number of foreign countries on the project. He said that further details would be announced in the near future.

Iran launched its first locally-built satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009. The country also sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in February 2010, using Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) carrier.

Iran also placed the domestically-made Fajr (Dawn) satellite into orbit in February 2015. The satellite is capable of taking and transmitting high-quality and accurate pictures to stations on earth.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk