Nahid-2 Satellite ‘Intact’ in Orbit, Transmits Initial Data

The head of the Iranian Space Agency (ISA), Hossein Salariyeh, has confirmed the reception of the initial telemetry signals from the newly launched Nahid-2 satellite, saying the signals indicate that the satellite is currently intact and operating as expected within its designated orbit.

Speaking to Press TV on Sunday, two days after the satellite’s launch from Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch facility in eastern Russia, Salariyeh said the current objective is to methodically test each subsystem to ensure it is functioning properly.

He further noted that this satellite serves as a telecommunications satellite, utilizing Ku-band communications, widely used for establishing broadband communications worldwide.

The ISA chief also stated that the agency has conducted thorough testing and evaluation of this satellite.

“Being the first Iranian satellite in orbit, our primary focus is on assessing the design and construction of its subsystems and equipment. As per our standard procedure, the initial step involves achieving orbital stabilization and controlling the satellite's status-related components,” he said.

Salariyeh further emphasized that the successful deployment of Nahid-2 represents a major advancement in the country's space capabilities, pointing out that the construction of the next-generation Nahid-3 satellite is already in progress.

Iran’s domestically built Nahid-2 satellite was successfully launched into a 500 km orbit on Friday, July 25, aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.

Designed to deliver a wide array of communications and research capabilities, Nahid-2 will support secure data transmission, onboard storage, and direct connectivity between satellite systems and mission control.

Observers have billed it as a leap forward in Iran’s space-based communications infrastructure.

In a first for the Islamic Republic’s satellite fleet, Nahid-2 will also serve as a testbed for chemical and hot gas propulsion systems, technologies used for attitude control, or the precise management of a satellite’s orientation in orbit.

Adding to its suite of innovations, the satellite will conduct GPS-free radio positioning using Two-Line Element (TLE) data, a standardized orbital format that allows for autonomous location tracking in space.