According to AhlulBayt (AS) International News Agency (ABNA), the Iranian Space Agency announced on Friday that, just hours after its launch, the "Nahid 2" satellite had successfully entered an orbit approximately 500 kilometers above Earth, based on data received from the launch site.
The satellite was launched at 9:24 a.m. local time from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome. It is now operating in low Earth orbit, marking another milestone in Iran’s advancement in satellite technology.
“Nahid 2” is a communications satellite developed by researchers from Iran’s space industry at the Space Research Center and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. The project was carried out with support from a network of domestic, knowledge-based companies.
Weighing approximately 110 kilograms, the satellite plays a key role in Iran’s efforts to expand its satellite communications capabilities, particularly in building low-Earth (LEO) and geostationary (GEO) communication systems.
For the first time, Iran will conduct in-orbit testing of indigenous Ku-band communications technology through this satellite. Additional systems to be tested include three-axis attitude control, two-way communications across various frequency bands, onboard data management, and power distribution technologies.
The launch of “Nahid 2” was part of a multi-payload mission carried out by a Russian Soyuz rocket. Alongside the Iranian satellite, the rocket also deployed the Russian satellites “Yunosfera M-3” and “M-4,” as well as 18 other satellites from various countries.
Iran’s partnership with Russia in this mission is viewed as a successful exercise in space diplomacy, demonstrating Tehran’s capacity to push forward with its space program despite international sanctions.
The presence of the logos of the Iranian Space Agency and the Iranian Space Research Institute on the body of the Soyuz rocket symbolized Iran’s official and active participation in this international launch. Previously, Soyuz rockets have also launched Iranian satellites such as “Khayyam,” “Pars-1,” “Kowsar,” and “Hodhod” into space.
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