Salarieh added that communications satellites being developed by Iranian experts are expected to provide a significant portion of the country\u2019s communications infrastructure in the future, either directly or in a supporting capacity.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/519680.jpeg\"\/)
A first military satellite named Noor is launched into orbit by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, in Semnan, Iran April 22, 2020 (credit: WANA\/SEPAH NEWS VIA REUTERS)Iran Space Agency emphasizes coordination with China<\/p>\n
The head of the Iranian Space Agency emphasized that international cooperation is one of the priorities of Iran\u2019s space program, specifically noting continued cooperation with China<\/a> and Iran\u2019s participation in the Chang\u2019e lunar exploration project.<\/p>\n He said Iran places importance both on exporting space products and services to other countries and on learning from the capabilities of leading countries in the field.<\/p>\n Addressing updates to Iran\u2019s space program for the coming decade, Salarieh said the plan is being adjusted in line with technological advances, after some technologies reached maturity and certain projects required revisions.<\/p>\n Regarding satellite launch vehicles, he said the Simurgh and Qaem 100 launchers had reached an \u201cacceptable\u201d level of maturity and completed several successful launches.<\/p>\n Salarieh said Iran is also developing more advanced generations of launch vehicles, with testing expected to begin soon, as well as an upgraded version of the Simurgh launcher intended to increase payload capacity for low Earth orbit and higher orbits.<\/p>\n He said testing of the upgraded Simurgh began about two years ago and would continue this year.<\/p>\n Israel stymies Iranian attempts at satellite launches<\/p>\n The US intelligence community\u2019s 2024 worldwide threat assessment warned that Iran\u2019s development of satellite launch vehicles \u201cwould shorten the timeline\u201d for it to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).<\/p>\n The IDF on March 8 attacked Iran’s Aerospace Headquarters for launching satellites, technology which had potential dual use for being incorporated in future attempts to develop nuclear weapons which could be fired long range into space<\/a> and hit the US.<\/p>\n The headquarters had been used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to promote its aerospace efforts, including the 2022 launch of the Khayyam satellite, successfully launched by Iran using a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n Until attacking the site, Israeli officials were concerned that the Khayyam and the latest space cooperation between Moscow and Tehran would increase Iran\u2019s capabilities to potentially launch ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) as well as improve its monitoring of targets in the Jewish state and throughout the region in the short-term.<\/p>\n