Official: Iran’s Varamin Site Collects 3 Petabytes of Satellite Data
“This site has collected nearly three petabytes of satellite image data and now it has been equipped with new equipment,” said Amir Majid Fakhri.
He underlined the capability of the geophysical observatory of the organization to observe the deep space through several sensors, and said, “We have plans to establish this observatory in seven points of the country to collect data from the upper layers of the atmosphere, and this data will be available to the operating devices.”
Fakhri also pointed to the installation and operation of 154 GMSS stations across the country, and said, “In addition to providing positional data and marine navigation to the armed forces and government agencies, these stations are also capable of receiving and processing atmospheric data.”
Iran is standing among the top 10 countries leading the space industry and among the 7 states leading the bio-space.
Late in January, Iran launched three home-made satellites simultaneously into space.
Mahda, Keyhan-2 and Hatef-1 were three home-made satellites that Iran successfully put into orbit on the back of a single launcher dubbed Simorq (Phoenix).
The three satellites were launched from Imam Khomeini Space Launch Terminal in Semnan province in the Northeastern part of Iran with a minimum altitude of 450 kilometers and a maximum of 1,100 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
Weighing 32 kilograms, Mahda is a research satellite designed and manufactured at the Iranian Space Research Center. It is a lightweight satellite developed to test advanced satellite subsystems.
The performance of Simorq launcher, manufactured by the Iranian Defense Ministry, was assessed by Mahda in multiple injections of space cargo in low altitudes, and the satellite also evaluated new designs and the reliability of indigenous technologies in space.
Hatef-1and Keyhan-2, two cubic nanosatellites weighing less than 10 kilograms, were developed by Iran Electronics Industries, a state-owned subsidiary of the Defense Ministry.
Hatef-1 seeks proving the use of narrowband communication technology in the internet of things (IoT).
Keyhan-2 was made for space-based positioning. It has status determination and control subsystems to aim stably and precisely towards the Earth.
Iran sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in February 2010, using an Explorer (Kavoshgar) carrier.
Iran launched its first satellite, called Omid (literally meaning hope), in 2009. Rasad (literally meaning observation) satellite was also sent into orbit in 2011.
In 2012, Iran successfully put its third domestically manufactured satellite, named Navid (literally meaning promise), into orbit.
4155/v
