SAEDNEWS: Head of Iran’s Space Research Institute Announces Success of Nahid Satellite Tests and Country’s Progress Toward Homegrown Satellite Internet Linked to Global Network
According to the Science and Technology Desk of Saed News, Vahid Yazdanian, head of the Iranian Space Research Center, told Mehr News Agency that recent advances in satellite communications have put the country on track for a domestic satellite internet infrastructure. “We now have the necessary infrastructure to access homegrown satellite internet. The Nahid satellite enables data exchange, and fortunately, tests conducted on this satellite have been successful,” he said.
Yazdanian added that the Nahid satellite allows data exchange over the Ku band. “The good news, as also highlighted by the Minister of Communications, is that we have managed to establish a telephone relay on this same band. This demonstrates that the system is now operationally viable.”
However, he emphasized that a single satellite cannot meet the country’s full satellite communication needs. “To create a stable and reliable infrastructure, a constellation of satellites must be deployed in orbit to ensure continuous coverage and connectivity.”
He also announced the ongoing development of the project: “God willing, the second Nahid satellite, Nahid-2, will be launched by the end of autumn. We also plan to increase the number of satellites to form a true constellation. This effort will continue uninterrupted; both satellite construction and procurement are progressing steadily.”
Regarding the timeline for Iran’s connection to the global satellite internet network, Yazdanian noted: “It is difficult to predict the exact timing, but at the current pace, we expect to achieve full connectivity within three to five years.”
The research and telecommunications satellite Nahid-2 was launched into space on the morning of Friday, July 25, aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket, commissioned by the Iranian Space Agency in collaboration with the Space Research Center.
