SAEDNEWS: A few days ago, Elon Musk shared a post on social media, and among the rockets, the Iranian satellite launcher’s name appeared. How did the Iranian launcher become a symbol of space access?
According to the New Technologies Service of Saed News, Seyed Ahmad Hosseini Moones, spokesperson for the Space Division of Iran’s Ministry of Defense, addressed questions about the launches of Fakhr-1 and Saman-1 using the Iranian Simorgh rocket during a live special news program.
Responding to a question about an Elon Musk post that referenced the Iranian launcher, he explained:
“The Safir was developed at a time when few believed that such capabilities existed within the Islamic Republic. Space launch technology is highly complex; it is a pinnacle of global engineering and technical skill.
Every technical engineering discipline taught at universities is applied in launch technology. Engineers in electrical, mechanical, chemical, and other fields contribute, and the launch vehicle itself contains more than ten thousand components. The engine’s exhaust reaches temperatures of around 3,000°C.
The launch vehicle consumes about 600 kilograms of fuel per second, achieving injection speeds of 7,754 meters per second—covering over 7.7 kilometers in a single second. Without reaching such speeds, satellites cannot enter orbit. This represents the cutting edge of science and technology.
Unlike other nations, which have reached this stage through technology transfers or assistance from global superpowers, Iran has independently developed its capabilities using purely domestic technology. The Safir rocket placed the Omid satellite into orbit on February 3, 2009, a milestone now celebrated as National Space Technology Day. Safir has become a symbol of Iran’s space technology, with Simorgh representing a more advanced version, and Sarir expected to surpass it.”
