Iran launches locally developed satellite-carrying rocket Ghaem-100

Middle East, News November 6, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Iran carried out a successful test for a locally produced rocket that is capable of carrying satellites into space. The test was conducted on November 5, 2022, only three months after Iran launched its satellite with the help of a Russian rocket.

The United States has raised concerns about Iran’s rocket testing. The U.S. voiced its concerns regarding the current launch stating that Iran is boosting its ballistic missile capabilities with such tests that would extend its ability to deliver nuclear warheads.

Iran, however, insists that its rocket development is only focused on space exploration and civilian purposes and it does no intends to launch or use its rockets for military ambitions or defense purposes.

The recently launched rocket has been termed as Ghaem-100. According to the state-owned media outlet “The flight test of this launcher using the Rafe solid-fuel vehicle has been successfully completed,” Ghaem-100 has been developed by the aerospace division of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

The head of this division Amir Ali Hajizadeh told the state-owned media that the rocket would be used to launch Iran’s Nahid satellite for the telecommunications ministry.

The report further specified the features of the Ghaem-100 stating that it is capable of carrying a satellite weighing 80 kilograms in an orbit 500 kilometers from the surface of the Earth.

Iran launched its Khayyam satellite in August this year. The satellite was launched by Russia on a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Russian space agency also helped Iran in the development of the Khayyam satellite.

*^{Iranian satellite-carrier rocket Zuljanah blasting off from an undisclosed location in Iran. (Image Credit: Iranian Defense Ministry)}*

The U.S. alleged that Iranian satellite has been enabled with “significant spying capabilities” and stated its concerns about the deepening Russia-Iran alliance as it poses a “profound threat” to the world. Iranian space agency rejected the allegations stating that the only purpose of the Khayyam satellite was to “monitor the country’s borders” and to help the management of natural resources and agriculture.

Despite having one of the largest missile programs in the Middle East, Iran had been struggling with its space program and had several failed attempts to launch satellites in the past few years that it blamed on technical issues.

In December 2021, an Iranian satellite-carrying rocket failed to place the payload into space and received a wide range of criticism from the U.S. and other Western countries. The timing of that launch coincided with the talks to reinstate the 2015 Iran Nuclear deal.

For the past two years, the Iranian space agency has been working closely with its Russian counterpart and has seen a significant improvement with substantially successful results.