Iranian “Khayyam” satellite has been launched into orbit from the Moscow-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, marking what Iran called the beginning of "strategic" aerospace cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.
Equipped with a Fregat upper stage, the Khayyam satellite was sent into orbit on Tuesday by Soyuz-2.1b rocket, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in neighboring Kazakhstan.
First telemetry data from the Khayyam satellite are reportedly received at the Iranian Space Agency's (ISA) Mahdasht space base.
According to the reports, the satellite will be placed in an orbit of 500 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. It will send high-resolution images four times a day. Imagery from Khayyam will be used to monitor Iran’s borders and improve the country’s capabilities in management and planning in the fields of agriculture, natural resources, environment, mining, and natural disasters.
Roscosmos chief Yury Borisov described the launch as "an important milestone for Russian-Iranian bilateral cooperation."
"As ever before, today Russia is open to cooperation in the field of space exploration with all interested countries and partners. I am confident that the space issue must remain outside of any political trends and serve for the benefit of all humankind and world science," Borisov said.
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