Iran plans to launch four additional satellites into orbit by mid-March 2026 and to open a new space base in Chabahar, in the country's southeast, the head of Iran's Space Agency said this week.
"The development of the Chabahar Space Center has made good progress, and we should soon expect the first launch of four satellites from this base," Hassan Salaria told reporters. He said the launches, set for completion by the end of the Iranian year in March 2026, are meant for observation purposes.
One of the satellites, called Zafar, is a microsatellite designed to produce high-resolution maps and aerial images of sites around the world. According to reports, it can capture images with a resolution of 22 to 80 meters. The satellite is equipped with color cameras that can document oil facilities, mines, jungles, and natural disasters.
Iran also intends to launch experimental satellites named Soleimani, in honor of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, who was killed in a US strike in Iraq in 2020. In August, Salaria told the Tasnim news agency that this would be the first time Iran launches satellites bearing Soleimani's name.
A US Defense Department intelligence report from 2019 warned that Iran's satellite launch tests could support the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). In January 2024, European powers cautioned that the launch of a satellite aboard a Qaem 100 rocket served as a cover for testing technology critical to developing long-range ballistic missiles.
In other words, the launches are not only aimed at enhancing Iran's surveillance capabilities but also at advancing its ballistic missile program.
