Shahroud Space Center (Persian:پایگاه فضایی شاهرود) is a Military Spaceport under control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGCASF) located south-east of Shahroud Semnan Province, used to orbit military satellites for Iran's military space program.[2]
| Sharoud Space Center | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Sharoud Space Center | |
| Coordinates | 36°12′03″N 55°20′02″E / 36.2009°N 55.3339°E |
| Type | Spaceport |
| Site information | |
| Operator | IRGCASF |
| Condition | Operational |
| Site history | |
| Built | late 1980s [1] |
Overview
editThe launch of the Noor 1 satellite on April 22, 2020, using the Qased launch vehicle out of Shahroud space center revealed the existence of a parallel military space program run by the IRGC as opposed to Iran's civil space program run by the Iranian Space Agency (ISA).[3]
The site features a 23-meter-tall servicing tower, a concrete launch pad 200 by 140 meters and an exhaust deflector with a length of 125 meters; Interestingly, the site features no storage facilities and fuel tanks for liquid rocket fuel, and is primarily designed to launch solid fueled launch vehicles such as the Qased and the Qaem.[4][5]
Launch history
edit| Launch # | Date | Launch Vehicle | Payload | Outcome | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 April 2020 | Qased | Noor 1 | Success | Iran's first military satellite |
| 2 | 8 March 2022 | Qased | Noor 2 | Success | Iran's second military satellite |
| 3 | 5 November 2022[6] | Qaem 100 | N/A | Success | First sub-orbital test |
| 4 | 4 March 2023[7][8] | Qaem 100 | Nahid-1 | Failure | First Qaem 100 orbital launch attempt |
| 5 | 27 September 2023[9] | Qased | Noor 3 | Success | Iran's third military satellite |
| 6 | 20 January 2024[10] | Qaem 100 | Soraya | Success | |
| 7 | 14 September 2024 | Qaem 100 | Chamran1 | Success |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Shahroud Missile Test Site". The Nuclear Threat Initiative. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- ^ Hinz, Fabian. "IRAN'S SOLID-PROPELLANT SLV PROGRAM IS ALIVE AND KICKING". Arms control wonk.
- ^ "Iran Guard reveals secret space program in satellite launch". ABC News. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- ^ "Iran's first space launch center near Shahrud for its Ghaem SLV project". www.b14643.de. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
- ^ Hinz, Fabian. "PASDARAN, SOLID-FUEL AND AVIATOR SUNGLASSES". Arms Control Wonk.
- ^ "Iran test launches new satellite-carrying rocket". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
- ^ "ثریا". tv1.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ "https://twitter.com/john_krzyzaniak/status/1679184846520737793?t=x4ABgpotYIHCJDAGJlSmKg&s=19". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-08-30.
{{cite web}}: External link in|title= - ^ Motamedi, Maziar. "Iran's IRGC successfully puts third imaging satellite into orbit". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- ^ "Iran successfully launches Soraya satellite using Qa'im 100 carrier". Iran Press. Retrieved 20 January 2024.