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History of the Iranian Space Program

Iran’s space program has evolved from modest satellite‑communication experiments in the 1960s to a dual‑track effort that now fields both civilian and military launch capabilities. In 2009 the country became the ninth nation to place a satellite, Omid, into orbit using its own Safir rocket, and it has since fielded a suite of launch vehicles including Simorgh, Zuljanah and the IRGC‑run Qased. Russia has become Iran’s primary launch partner, providing Soyuz services and satellite hardware since 2022. The program now targets heavy‑lift Sarir and crewed Soroush rockets to achieve geostationary and human‑spaceflight goals by the late 2020s.