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Iran Uses Simorgh Rocket to Launch Heaviest Payload, Including Fakhr-1 Satellite, Amid Western Missile Fears

Dec 6, 2024, 11:33 AM

On Friday, December 6, 2024, Iran announced the successful launch of its heaviest-ever payload into space using the domestically built Simorgh satellite launch vehicle, a two-stage liquid-fueled rocket. The launch took place at the Imam Khomeini Spaceport and included the Fakhr-1 satellite, named in memory of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, and the Saman-1 transfer module designed to move satellites to higher-altitude orbits. The satellites were injected into an elliptical orbit with an apogee of 410 kilometers and a perigee of 300 kilometers. The Fakhr-1 satellite, operated by Iran's military, has begun transmitting telemetry data to ground stations. Western nations have expressed concern over Iran's space program, alleging that it could aid Tehran's ballistic missile development.