Dr. Karimi, Head of the ISRC, speaking to ICT Public Relation, referred to the 6th development plan, stating the design, manufacture and launching of a domestic telecommunication satellite as the most primary and fundamental task of the center, adding that: “It is our intention, with help of research centers, universities and knowledge-based companies to launch the first domestically made telecommunication satellite with minimum capability and service capacity, by providing production services and the strength of domestic satellite launcher and utilizing orbital transfer technology, into a geo-synchronous orbit.”
Mentioning the designing and manufacturing of high-resolution measurement satellites, he stated that: “In addition to utilizing domestic launchers and sending satellites to higher orbits in LEO for imaging missions, we also have on our agenda provision of services in sectors such as agriculture, transportation, natural resources, environment, forests and pastures, agricultural product monitoring, and forecasting unexpected natural disasters.”
The head of ISRC said: “During the past three years, with help of Iranian Aerospace Industries Organization and Iranian universities, this center has the successful launching of measurement satellites and two life-carrying capsules containing live creatures, in its portfolio of achievements.”
Referring to the affiliation of Space Research Center to the ICT Ministry, Dr. Karimi stated that: “We hope that, considering the major and long-term programs of the Communication Ministry, we shall witness the increased acceleration of space sectors development with priority given to communication satellites, measurement (imaging) satellites, and navigation and global positioning satellites that will enable us to take major and decisive steps in providing services to our users in all areas in an operational and practical manner for the 2nd 10-Year Space program overview.”
He also underlined the objectives of the 1st 10-Year Space program overview of Iran, which involved development and growth of space technology and its stability, stating that: “The achievements of the first decade of Iranian space sector, based on international data and statistics, are the placement of Iran’s name as the ninth nation entering the world space club, and being among the few emerging countries in this field.”
Dr. Karimi said that: “This emergence and ranking in space sector included advancement in domestic launchers, research satellites, launching platform and station, the ability to collect and process data and in other words, superstructure approach and the assimilation of all related activities of this sector.”
He described the current state of affairs as the stabilization of these technologies in the country, and included that: “During the second decade, we are looking to make space services practical and available to all Iranians in every mentioned field.”
In other parts of his address, Dr. Karimi expressed his pleasure for the outstanding post-revolutionary activities in the aerospace field, especially knowledge development and creation of academic infrastructure, and reported of the ongoing cooperation with some universities, adding that: “We have been cooperating with Sharif University of Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, and Iran University of Science and Technology and will continue to do so.”
Head of the ISRC mentioned efforts directed at utilizing capabilities of technologically advanced countries and development of international relations, saying that: “It is our objective to employ an international relations based on mutual designing, reliance on scientific knowhow, and also establishment of related infrastructure and laboratories in Iran for future activities in the previously mentioned fields.”
At the conclusion, he underlined the high expenses and the late yields of working in this field, requesting the establishment of a unified thinking in all levels of decision-making in this sector.
It should be mentioned that the ISRC has been established five years ago by the permission of the Higher Education Development Council. Based on its statute and high level documents in space sector, it has the mandate to design, build and launch communication and measurement (imaging) satellites, navigation and global positioning satellites, and space life support systems. It has research centers in Tehran, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Isfahan, all active in this field.
This research center, which at the beginning was operating under the Iranian Space Agency, was transferred to the ICT Ministry on February 2015 according to the decree of the High Administrative Council, and continues its operation in this Ministry.