Iran Plans to Launch Satellites by the End of 2023

Iran is planning to launch two domestically produced satellites into orbit in December 2023 in cooperation with Russia, ISNA news agency reported on March 5.

According to the agency, the satellites named "Kowsar" and "Hodhod" will be released into orbit at an altitude of 500 km above the Earth’s surface. Kowsar is a monitoring satellite that can be used for agricultural purposes, research, and boundary delimitation. Its lifespan in orbit is two years.

Hodhod is utilized in the internet sector, with its applications relevant to agriculture, transportation, and crisis management, as noted by the agency.

Earlier, on March 1, it was reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian intends to visit Russia in March. As noted by Kazem Jalali, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic in Moscow, Tehran and Moscow are currently in a "golden era of relationship development," making progress in all directions.

On August 9, a rocket named "Soyuz-2.1b" was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, placing the "Khayyam" remote sensing satellite, built by Iran’s order in Russia, into orbit.