TEHRAN – Iran announced plans for a series of satellite launches later this year, highlighting its determination to expand its domestic space programme and reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
Hassan Salary, head of the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) and deputy communications minister, said preparations are underway for launching several satellites, including experimental models of Zafa, Paya, upgraded Kousal and Shahid Soleimani narrowband communications constellation. He also confirmed that the newly constructed Chabahar Space Center is ready for its first launch.
Salary made a presentation on Sunday night at a lunar eclipse observation event held at the Kayam Observatory.
Chabahar base, also known as the Mahdi Space Center, has made “a very important advancement,” Salarieh said, adding that the first launch will take place soon. He emphasized that the new facility, along with the Salma and Chenaran projects, will expand its ability to control Iranian satellites and analyze domestic data.
He highlighted the announcement of a second version of the Government Week Kousal satellite, designed and built by the private sector. Salary said Iran is increasingly dependent on its country’s expertise, and knowledge-based companies play a growing role in national projects.
Iran is set to launch an upgraded Kousal along with Zafa, Paya and Test Units of the Shahid Soleimani constellation by the end of the year. While some schedules may change due to technical adjustments, the salary has expressed confidence that “these launches will be carried out by the end of this year at least.”
The Kowsar programme, he said, will focus on strengthening Iran’s remote detection capabilities, particularly in agriculture and land management. The Zafar satellite, developed jointly by the Iranian University of Science and Technology and the ISA, is intended for high-resolution Earth observation for environmental monitoring and disaster management. Meanwhile, PAYA is expected to complement these efforts by supporting agriculture and territorial mapping.
Still in the experimental stage, the Shahid Soleimani project represents Iran’s new domain in satellite communications. Salarieh said the revised test unit will soon be launched and marks the start of an ambitious plan for the wider constellations.
Beyond domestic projects, the Salary highlights Iran’s participation in the China-led Long Knights-8 mission, calling it a “major achievement” that provides access to cutting-edge moon research. He said that such international cooperation reflects Iran’s growing role in space science, despite Western sanctions attempting to isolate the country.
In addition to the launch of the satellite, Salary confirmed that Iran is developing advanced biospatial capsules with improved control and guidance systems. Currently in the design and construction stages, these capsules aim to expand Iran’s capabilities in space medicine and biological research.
Salary frames the space programme as a symbol of national resilience, emphasizing that most future projects will rely heavily on domestic expertise. “These are complex programs, but our forecast is that there will be some important launches by the end of the year,” he said.
He added that despite technical challenges, Iran is still committed to building integrated constellations of satellites that can support communication, earth observation and strategic applications.