Persian Gulf
INT'L MOD
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- #541
Paya, Kowsar-2, and Zafar-2 were integrated with the upper stage of the Russian Soyuz-2 SLV two days ago
they will be launched and placed into orbit by Russia on December 28th
Iranian Space program | News and Discussions
- Thread starter Persian Gulf
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Paya, Kowsar-2, and Zafar-2 were integrated with the upper stage of the Russian Soyuz-2 SLV two days ago
they will be launched and placed into orbit by Russia on December 28th
Shags101
Trusted Member
What are the satellite for assuming at least one is for imaging(spy satellite)
Persian Gulf
INT'L MOD
- Thread starter
- #543
they are relatively primitive satellites designed for agriculture mapping and testing IoT technologies
imaging resolution is not suitable for military purposes
Persian Gulf
INT'L MOD
- Thread starter
- #544
Successful launch of 3 Iranian satellites into LEO by Russia (7th launch of Iranian satellites into orbit by Russia)
The satellites were placed into orbit from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome in a multi-payload launch that Iranian officials described as the country’s seventh satellite mission carried out using Russian launch vehicles.
“Two of the satellites belong to the government and one belongs to the private sector, and our knowledge-based companies and universities are active in this field.”
Iranian media identified the satellites as Paya, also known as Tolou-3, Zafar-2, and a prototype satellite called Kowsar-1.5. The spacecraft were launched alongside a large cluster of mainly Russian satellites into a sun-synchronous low Earth orbit.
Paya (Tolou-3), built by the Iranian Space Agency, is Iran’s heaviest Earth-observation satellite to date, weighing about 150 kilograms.
Iranian officials say it is capable of producing black-and-white images with a resolution of about five meters and color images with a resolution of around 10 meters, and is intended for applications including agriculture, water management, environmental monitoring and disaster assessment.
Zafar-2, developed by Iran University of Science and Technology, is also an Earth-observation satellite designed for mapping, environmental monitoring and tracking natural hazards.
Kowsar-1.5 combines imaging and internet-of-things capabilities and is aimed primarily at agricultural and farm-monitoring uses, Iranian officials say.
Jalali described Iran’s space cooperation with Russia as extensive and said Moscow’s experience had played a key role.
“Russia is advanced in the space field, including satellites, launch vehicles and satellite launches, and we have been able to transfer part of the technology and work together,” he said.
Russia also launched Iran's Nahid-2 satellite telecoms satellite (110kg) into orbit in July 2025.
The satellites were placed into orbit from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome in a multi-payload launch that Iranian officials described as the country’s seventh satellite mission carried out using Russian launch vehicles.
“Two of the satellites belong to the government and one belongs to the private sector, and our knowledge-based companies and universities are active in this field.”
Iranian media identified the satellites as Paya, also known as Tolou-3, Zafar-2, and a prototype satellite called Kowsar-1.5. The spacecraft were launched alongside a large cluster of mainly Russian satellites into a sun-synchronous low Earth orbit.
Paya (Tolou-3), built by the Iranian Space Agency, is Iran’s heaviest Earth-observation satellite to date, weighing about 150 kilograms.
Iranian officials say it is capable of producing black-and-white images with a resolution of about five meters and color images with a resolution of around 10 meters, and is intended for applications including agriculture, water management, environmental monitoring and disaster assessment.
Zafar-2, developed by Iran University of Science and Technology, is also an Earth-observation satellite designed for mapping, environmental monitoring and tracking natural hazards.
Kowsar-1.5 combines imaging and internet-of-things capabilities and is aimed primarily at agricultural and farm-monitoring uses, Iranian officials say.
Jalali described Iran’s space cooperation with Russia as extensive and said Moscow’s experience had played a key role.
“Russia is advanced in the space field, including satellites, launch vehicles and satellite launches, and we have been able to transfer part of the technology and work together,” he said.
Russia also launched Iran's Nahid-2 satellite telecoms satellite (110kg) into orbit in July 2025.
Persian Gulf
INT'L MOD
- Thread starter
- #545
Iranian SLV development appears to have ground to a halt in 2025 after a promising 2024, which saw 2 successful launches of the Simorgh SLV place 6 satellites into orbit and 2 successful launches of the IRGC's Qaem-100 SLV place 2 satellites into orbit.
In 2025, Iran did not conduct any (successful) space launches, though there are unverified reports that launches of Zoljanah and Simorgh failed this year and were not reported on.
My Wishlist for 2026:
In 2025, Iran did not conduct any (successful) space launches, though there are unverified reports that launches of Zoljanah and Simorgh failed this year and were not reported on.
My Wishlist for 2026:
- First launch of Qaem-105 SLV (suborbital).
- First launch of Sarir SLV (suborbital).
- First successful orbital launch of Zoljanah SLV.
aerospace_enthusiast_newb
Registered Member
How many satellites do you reckon Iran has? If we count the ones it launched into space + the ones Russia launched into space + Older commercial satellites?
FUB
Trusted Member
It is more plausible than not , the agricultural mapping is a front for the real purpose which is military reconnaissance. It be very silly for both Iran and Russia to admit the real purpose of the satellites.
Not all countries declare military satellite launches. I am sure IRGC has launched numerous satellites without announcing them . How else did they discover the location of IDF AD?
iranprimer.usip.org
en.wikipedia.org
Not all countries declare military satellite launches. I am sure IRGC has launched numerous satellites without announcing them . How else did they discover the location of IDF AD?
Part 1: Explainer - Iran's Space Program
John Krzyzaniak is a research associate at the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control. Follow him @john_krzyzaniak.
Noor 3 (satellite) - Wikipedia
Last edited:
Pakistan Space Agency
Elite Member
I was going to ask why Iran didn't launch the 3 sats using it's own SLVs but you've answered it.
Pakistan Space Agency
Elite Member
Plenty of infrastructure in place around the world that continuously monitors anything that reaches space.It is more plausible than not , the agricultural mapping is a front for the real purpose which is military reconnaissance. It be very silly for both Iran and Russia to admit the real purpose of the satellites.
Not all countries declare military satellite launches. I am sure IRGC has launched numerous satellites without announcing them . How else did they discover the location of IDF AD?
Part 1: Explainer - Iran's Space Program
John Krzyzaniak is a research associate at the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control. Follow him @john_krzyzaniak.
Noor 3 (satellite) - Wikipedia
Flotilla
Trusted Member
No, no, those will be used also for cadastral services.It is more plausible than not , the agricultural mapping is a front for the real purpose which is military reconnaissance. It be very silly for both Iran and Russia to admit the real purpose of the satellites.
Not all countries declare military satellite launches. I am sure IRGC has launched numerous satellites without announcing them . How else did they discover the location of IDF AD?
Part 1: Explainer - Iran's Space Program
John Krzyzaniak is a research associate at the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control. Follow him @john_krzyzaniak.
Noor 3 (satellite) - Wikipedia
Like enrichment It is necessary for medical treatments based on radiotherapy. Be sure their pictures will be never used for calculating ranges, guidance, programming seekers and post-hit assessment.
Persian Gulf
INT'L MOD
- Thread starter
- #551
total number launched into orbit is 20+
but many of them only survived in orbit for 1-24 months and decayed from orbit
right now maybe 10-15 in orbit I guess (lazily)
Persian Gulf
INT'L MOD
FUB
Trusted Member
What makes you think that they have to be transparent like good little boys and disclose everything?
Expert estimates of Noor Sats resolution
- Noor-1 (2020): ~15–25 meters per pixel
- Noor-2 (2022): ~10–15 meters per pixel
- Noor-3 (2023/2024): ~4–8 meters per pixel
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Immortals
Elite Member
it’s been 17 years (2008) since Iran started its space program. Still no reliable launcher and still [periodically] launching micro-sats to LEO. Now it has gotten into a habit of just relying on Russia for launch.
Might be the slowest space program in human history.
Might be the slowest space program in human history.
HAIDER
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
Milestone in Iran with triple satellite launch
December 28, 2025 - 21:5Paya, Zafar-2, and upgraded Kowsar sent into space from Russia
TEHRAN – Iran’s space program took a significant leap forward on Sunday as it successfully placed three domestically built satellites into orbit in a single launch, carrying out one of the country's most complex space endeavors to date. The mission has been hailed as a major milestone by analysts and officials.
The satellites—named Paya, Zafar-2, and an upgraded Kowsar model—soared into space atop a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. They are now circling Earth at an altitude of roughly 500 kilometers and each carry their own specialized mission.
The crown jewel of the trio is the Paya satellite. At 150 kilograms, it is now the heaviest spacecraft ever constructed by Iran. Paya carries an imaging camera capable of capturing detailed pictures of the Earth’s surface. Alongside it, the Zafar-2 satellite, developed by a team of university researchers, and the high-resolution Kowsar 1.5 satellite, built by a private Iranian company, round out the payload.
The satellites are designed for civilian use and some of their tasks will include monitoring the country's water resources, tracking environmental changes, managing agricultural land, and aiding disaster response during events like floods and earthquakes.
With its three new "eyes in the sky," Iran aims to build a more robust satellite network. The goal, according to space agency planners, is to be able to monitor any point in the country more frequently, providing data to guide future policy and development.
The successful launch was celebrated at a live-broadcast event in Tehran, where ordinary citizens could apply through the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) social media account to be part of the ceremony. Senior government officials were also present, some of whom stated the achievement was far more than a technical feat; it was, in fact, a crucial step toward self-reliance. Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology emphasized that projects like the ones executed on Sunday were vital for "national management," from connecting remote villages to the internet to combating pollution.
Hassan Salariyeh, the head of ISA, was the next senior official to address the crowd. Some of his remarks pointed to the Iran-Russia collaboration behind the mission, as well as the “maturity” of the country’s space program.
“This success demonstrates the maturity of our knowledge-based ecosystem, as both private sector companies and academic institutions were involved in the projects. For Iran's leadership, the launch serves as a symbol of domestic innovation and technological progress in the face of international sanctions,” he explained.
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