Iran says first domestic radar satellite Rad-1 ready for launch

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran is preparing to launch its first domestically built radar satellite, Rad-1, the Iranian Space Agency said at a press conference in the capital. Hassan Salariye, Iran’s deputy minister of communications and head of the space agency, outlined an updated framework for the country’s Ten-Year Space Plan running through 2032. Salariye said Iran is moving from a phase of "technological possession" in the space industry to one focused on commercial and service-oriented use of data. He added that subsystem production facilities and control centers have been distributed across a nationwide network to keep manufacturing running during war and emergency conditions. Iran is also developing the Nahid 3 satellite for a 36,000-kilometer geostationary orbit, along with the Simurg and Kaim 100 heavy launch vehicles. The country plans to test multi-orbit injection technology in 2026-2027, placing three satellites into different orbits from a single launcher. Salariye said returns on space investments run between 10 and 30 times the amount invested, without elaborating on the basis for that estimate.