Mohsen Bahrami told Mehr News correspondent on Sunday that under expert considerations, it has been decided to cancel plans for putting Mesbah communication satellite into orbit due to high expenses.
Iran's Mesbah satellite was built in collaboration with Italy's Carlo Gavazzi Space S.p.A in 1998 and was unveiled in 2005.
Mesbah, a low earth orbit telecommunication satellite, was seized while undergoing research studies in Italy in 2003 due to international sanctions. It was reclaimed by Iran in 2015 following the signing of Iran’s nuclear deal. Ever since, the Iranian Space Agency has been in talks in order to assess considerations on whether launching the satellite into space would be cost-efficient.
The $10 million satellite was developed as a tool for collecting data on ground and water resources and meteorological conditions, and to control power supply systems and pipelines.
Bahrami went on to add, “of course not every satellite needs to get to the launching stage. We have founded a space museum that will be inaugurated this summer. Mesbah satellite will be kept in the museum.”
He also noted that two other satellites are ready for launch, adding that further information will be disclosed next week.
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