Safir-1 IRILV
 
 

 
 

TEHRAN, 2008, Feb. 4  -- Iran launched probably the first time their space launch vehicle "Safir IRILV" and revealed the Iranian launch site nearby Semnan. The launch site involves an underground control station and launch pad to be used to fire Iranian satellites into space.
This Safir-0 had with high probability a satellite on board (not Omid !) .The probability is high, that Iran on the occasion of the anniversary of the revolution had the ambition, to transport a satellite in an orbit. The launch was not shown. But meanewhile there are pictures and video-sequences of a Safir rocket with AIO-logo. The launch has failed evidently.

The presented videos are probably older. They show the launch of a Ghadr test-rocket.

The Iranian press presents first photos of the new SLV and their propulsion system. The named Safir IRILV (Islamic Republic of Iran Launch Vehicle) is standing on the Space Industries Group Center in Tehran. In the meantime there are pictures of the rocket from the transport to the launch site.
The surprise was great however. The two-stage rocket is composed of a stretched Ghadr-II  (similar Nodong++) as first stage and a shorter second stage of equal diameter.
The second stage is a liquid propellant stage, which is propelled by two small engines with nozzle extension. The engines are similar a small Soviet Vernier engine. The partially application of the Soviet R-27 SLBM technology is recognizable.The turbopump and their arrangement is similar to the Soviet R-27 Vernier turbopump.
It is said that the Safir IRILV has a length of about 23 meters and weighs 26 tons. The diameter is 1.25 m.

 TEHRAN, 2008, Aug. 16 -- Iran says, it successfully launched its two-stage rocket Safir-1 IRILV to transport a dummy (??) of the "Omid" satellite in orbit.
About the result of the launch no information are known up to now. Probable was also the second attempt not successful to shoot a satellite in an earth-orbit.
From the rocket on the launch-pad some detailed pictures were published for the first time. Even the lift-off of the rocket in the night is in a video documented. In the meantime there is also from the engine of the first stage some pictures. It confirms itself the engine is like Scud-missile engine, only approx. 1.5 larger.

TEHRAN, 2009, Jan. 27 -- Iran's Space Agency (ISA) announced that the first domestically-built satellite of Iran called "Omid" would be sent to the space by March, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
"If no problem hinders the process, the Iranian-made satellite will join the orbit by the end of the current Iranian year (ending on March 20)," ISNA President Reza Taqipour said, adding that technical experts are trying to finalize the project according to the schedule, he said but refused to announce the exact day of saying it will be declared near the actual launch.
 

TEHRAN, 2009, Feb. 03  -- Iran has sent its first home-built satellite into orbit. The Omid lightweight telecommunications satellite was sent into space by the Iranian-produced satellite carrier Safir IRILV, the report said. Equipped with two frequency bands and eight antennae, Omid will transmit information to and from earth while orbiting the planet 15 times an hour, Press TV said. The satellite is also equipped with remote sensing, satellite telemetry and geographic information system technology, as well as remote and ground station data processing.
The first Iranian satellite was launched into orbit on a southeastern trajectory. Two objects are in orbits of 245 - 378 km; 55.51 deg and 245 - 439 km; 55.6 deg. One is presumably the Omid payload and the other the Safir rocket final stage, but it's not clear yet which is which. The Iranian News Agency calls the launch vehicle Safir-2. Pictures of the launch show "Safir - Omid (2) IRILV" painted on the side of the rocket. However is it probably the third launch. The first vehicle HUS.0001 was launched under another logo.