The spokesperson for the space sector of the Iranian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that the Zafar satellite and the Simorgh satellite carrier have been sent to the Imam Khomeini National Space Center for launch.
Hosseini said all infrastructures of the space center have been prepared for the launch of the homegrown satellite, noting that 200 main processes have been carried out by 30 teams for the operation.
The Iranian satellite will be launched as soon as the conditions are set, he said, adding that the launch process is complicated because of the need for testing new technologies.
In late January, Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said Zafar will be launched before February 11 -the anniversary of victory of the Islamic Revolution.
The minister said two versions of Zafar have been manufactured, so that if the first launch fails, the second satellite will be immediately prepared as a replacement.
Zafar, which weighs 113 kilograms, is going to be sent into an orbit at the altitudes of above 500 km, he noted, adding that it will be utilized for telecommunication, taking images, and picking up space signals.
The Iranian satellite will reportedly have a lifespan of one year and six months, and will capture images and transmit them to stations on earth.