A Russian rocket carrying a payload of satellites into orbit – including two from Iran – blasted off successfully, Russia’s Roscosmos space agency said, in a move seen as reflecting the growing cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.
The Soyuz-2.1 spacecraft lifted off as scheduled from the Vostochny Cosmodrome launchpad in far eastern Russia and put its payload into a designated orbit nine minutes after the launch on Tuesday.
Kosar is an observation satellite with an imaging resolution of 3.5 meters per pixel, which can be used for agricultural purposes, surveying and demarcation. The satellite has an orbital lifespan of two years.
The Hodhod satellite is planned to be used in the area of the Internet of Things, agriculture, transportation and crisis management scenarios.Iran is among the 10 countries with the know-how of space technology and is the 11th country in the world in terms of space science and the leading country in the region.
The Iranian satellites are the first launched on behalf of the country’s private sector, with the Kowsar manufactured by the Omidfaza company, which began designing the satellite in 2019.
MNA/