Iranian Space program | News and Discussions

[jauk]

Tik.

….

Tok!

Rhythm. Getting there!

 

[Persian Gulf]

First successful orbital launch of Simorgh SLV (after 4 confirmed failed orbital launch attempts)

First successful multi-satellite launch of Iran

Total payload was c. 50kg, quite a lot lower than claimed 250kg capability to LEO. Hopefully this success can be replicated with 100-200kg satellites in more stable orbits on a consistent basis

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2024 is off to a good start with successful orbital launches of Qaem-100 and Simorgh SLV in January. However, Simorgh is very old (and unnecessarily complex) tech now. I hope ISA/MoD can move to a new design as soon as possible. Successful orbital launches of Zoljanah and Qaem-105 by end of 2024?

 

[Persian Gulf]

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[Hack-Hook]

First successful orbital launch of Simorgh SLV (after 4 confirmed failed orbital launch attempts)

First successful multi-satellite launch of Iran

Total payload was c. 50kg, quite a lot lower than claimed 250kg capability to LEO. Hopefully this success can be replicated with 100-200kg satellites in more stable orbits on a consistent basis

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2024 is off to a good start with successful orbital launches of Qaem-100 and Simorgh SLV in January. However, Simorgh is very old (and unnecessarily complex) tech now. I hope ISA/MoD can move to a new design as soon as possible. Successful orbital launches of Zoljanah and Qaem-105 by end of 2024?

it seems simorgh being able to reach orbit is due to change in the engine casing and reducing the weight of second stage .
the question of if they can repeat the success with 100kg sat is all based on how much they managed to reduce the weight

 

[Persian Gulf]

it seems simorgh being able to reach orbit is due to change in the engine casing and reducing the weight of second stage .
the question of if they can repeat the success with 100kg sat is all based on how much they managed to reduce the weight

it would be strange if a SLV originally rated for 250-350kg payload to LEO suddenly can't put 100kg into LEO even after reducing the weight of the second stage

while I am happy they finally fixed Simorgh's problems, I am also disappointed we are still using Simorgh at all, why can't ISA/MOD cluster 2-4 Khorramshahr first stage engines for a new SLV?

 

[Hack-Hook]

it would be strange if a SLV originally rated for 250-350kg payload to LEO suddenly can't put 100kg into LEO even after reducing the weight of the second stage

while I am happy they finally fixed Simorgh's problems, I am also disappointed we are still using Simorgh at all, why can't ISA/MOD cluster 2-4 Khorramshahr first stage engines for a new SLV?

do we have launch facility capable of accommodating SLV of that size ? 4 khoramshar engine clustered would be big

 

[jauk]

it would be strange if a SLV originally rated for 250-350kg payload to LEO suddenly can't put 100kg into LEO even after reducing the weight of the second stage

while I am happy they finally fixed Simorgh's problems, I am also disappointed we are still using Simorgh at all, why can't ISA/MOD cluster 2-4 Khorramshahr first stage engines for a new SLV?

A better question is what is their calculus for persisting on Simorgh. There must be good rationale.

 

[Persian Gulf]

do we have launch facility capable of accommodating SLV of that size ? 4 khoramshar engine clustered would be big

the Semnan launch facility seems big enough to me, Simorgh is not exactly small itself with 2.4m diameter


even first and second stage of 1 or 2 Khorramshahr engine each would be a big improvement to Simorgh

 

[Persian Gulf]

A better question is what is their calculus for persisting on Simorgh. There must be good rationale.

I hope it's not sunk costs fallacy but I fear it may be

personally I think they made Safir-Simorgh-Sarir plans from the start (2007-2010 era) but should have realised by 2016-2019 that Simorgh is very underpowered and overly complicated and can be replaced by a far superior design (superior not just in power but in simplicity and size)

if Simorgh can only place 50kg to LEO instead of claimed 250-350kg, and Sarir is supposed to be built on Simorgh first stage, the true capacity of Sarir must logically be much lower than originally claimed (500kg to 1000km orbit)

then we have the Zoljanah which is solid fuel for some reason and doesn't seem to fit into ISA's plans, perhaps that was/is their back up option to Simorgh, who knows

they promised first phase of Chabahar Space Centre will be ready in first half of 1403, hopefully they bring some new SLVs with them

 

[Immortals]

I hope it's not sunk costs fallacy but I fear it may be

personally I think they made Safir-Simorgh-Sarir plans from the start (2007-2010 era) but should have realised by 2016-2019 that Simorgh is very underpowered and overly complicated and can be replaced by a far superior design (superior not just in power but in simplicity and size)

if Simorgh can only place 50kg to LEO instead of claimed 250-350kg, and Sarir is supposed to be built on Simorgh first stage, the true capacity of Sarir must logically be much lower than originally claimed (500kg to 1000km orbit)

then we have the Zoljanah which is solid fuel for some reason and doesn't seem to fit into ISA's plans, perhaps that was/is their back up option to Simorgh, who knows

they promised first phase of Chabahar Space Centre will be ready in first half of 1403, hopefully they bring some new SLVs with them

Simorgh was literally developed pre-2010. In rocket terms it’s ancient.

But it’s cheap. I think I remember hajizadeh saying a Simorgh launch cost less than 1-2M.

On the newer SLVs one wonders if Iran is either having troubling securing components. The US basically admitted to purposely attempting to sabotage Iran’s global supply chain for rockets by including modified components that would fail during launch.

 

[Immortals]

do we have launch facility capable of accommodating SLV of that size ? 4 khoramshar engine clustered would be big

There is a separate dedicated space launch facility being built for much larger SLVs that I assume will launch in the 2030’s at this rate.

Building a launch pad is the easy part.

Just look at the launch pad for future NASA moon mission.

 

[Flames In The Desert]

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[Immortals]

it seems simorgh being able to reach orbit is due to change in the engine casing and reducing the weight of second stage .

Come on they dropped the payload weight. That’s why it made it.

the question of if they can repeat the success with 100kg sat is all based on how much they managed to reduce the weight

No. At 100KG+ you run risk of failing to gain sufifcnet velocity for orbital insertion. That was Simorgh’s problem.

 

[Hack-Hook]

Come on they dropped the payload weight. That’s why it made it.



No. At 100KG+ you run risk of failing to gain sufifcnet velocity for orbital insertion. That was Simorgh’s problem.

50 kg is the weight it usually failed , it could not reach 400km previously , this time it reached a 450km x 1100km orbit

 

[Persian Gulf]

Simorgh was literally developed pre-2010. In rocket terms it’s ancient.

But it’s cheap. I think I remember hajizadeh saying a Simorgh launch cost less than 1-2M.

$3.5m per launch is the figure I remember

They can order Khorramshahr engines from MOD without issues, it's clearly in mass production in more than one variant already