Iran successfully launched the "Suraya" satellite and put it into a predetermined orbit 750 kilometers above the earth's surface.It is understood that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used the "Tengfei-100" rocket to launch the satellite. This is the first time that the country has sent a satellite into an orbit more than 500 kilometers above the earth's surface.
The "Suraya" satellite was manufactured by the Iranian Space Agency and weighs about 50 kilograms. It is a research satellite. This launch is part of Iran's civilian space program, but the launch location was not mentioned.
Iran failed to launch two satellites in 2019. In April 2020, it successfully launched its first military satellite using a domestically produced "Messenger" launch vehicle. In March 2022, it launched another military satellite using the same type of rocket. In September 2023, it successfully launched its third military satellite.
In addition, in December 2023, Iran announced that it had successfully launched a biologically-carrying space capsule into a predetermined orbit. It plans to send astronauts into space before 2029, and will carry out multiple tests with animals before then.