Omid (Persian: امید, meaning "Hope")[2] was Iran's first domestically made satellite.[3][4] Omid was a data-processing satellite for research and telecommunications; Iran's state television reported that it was successfully launched on 2 February 2009.[4][5][6] After being launched by an Iranian-made carrier rocket, Safir 1, the satellite was placed into a low Earth orbit. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad supervised the launch, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution; NASA verified the launch's success the following day.[7][8] Its Satellite Catalog Number or USSPACECOM object number is 33506.
 | |
| Operator | ISA |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2009-004A |
| SATCAT no. | 33506 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | 26kg |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2 February 2009 |
| Rocket | Safir-1 |
| Launch site | Semnan |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | April 2009 |
| Decay date | 25 April 2009 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Eccentricity | 0 |
| Perigee altitude | 258 kilometres (160 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 364.8 kilometres (226.7 mi) |
| Inclination | 55.5 degrees |
| Period | 90.7 minutes |
| Epoch | 2 February 2009, 13:34:00 UTC[1] |
Ahmadinejad said the satellite was launched to spread "monotheism, peace and justice" in the world.[9] The Tehran Times reported that "Iran has said it wants to put its own satellites into orbit to monitor natural disasters in the earthquake-prone nation and improve its telecommunications."[10] Foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that Iran launched the satellite to "meet the needs of the country" and that it was "purely for peaceful purposes".[9] Since there was very little encryption on the satellite, data could be collected and read by citizens.[11]
Omid had the shape of a 40-centimeter (16 in) cube with mass of 27 kilograms (60 lb). Sources in the Iranian Space Agency say the satellite's sole payload was a store and forward telecommunication capability.[6]
The launch of Omid makes Iran the ninth country to develop an indigenous satellite launch capability.
Specifications
edit- Store and Forward Telecommunication Satellite
- Dimensions: 40 cm × 40 cm × 40 cm
- Weight: 27 kg
- Thermal Control: Passive
- Frequency Band: UHF
- Nodal Period: 90.7 minutes
- Inclination: 55.71°
- Apogee: 381.2 km
- Perigee: 245.5 km
Previous Iranian satellites
editOmid was the second Iranian satellite to be placed into orbit. A previous Iranian satellite, Sina-1, was built and launched for Iran by Russia in 2005.[12][13]
Test launch
editSpeaking at the opening of a new space centre on 4 February 2008, President Ahmadinejad announced that Omid would be launched in "the near future".[14] On 17 August 2008, Iranian officials reported that they performed a test of the satellite carrier; they broadcast footage of the Safir rocket launch in darkness.[15]
According to an American official, "The vehicle failed shortly after liftoff and in no way reached its intended position."[16]
Orbit
editThe satellite was launched southeast over the Indian Ocean to avoid overflying neighboring countries and was placed into an orbit with an inclination of 55.5 degrees,[17] with a perigee of 246 km, an apogee of 377 km, and a period of 90.76 minutes.[18]
End of mission
editOmid was reported to have completed its mission without any problems. It completed more than 700 orbits over seven weeks.[19] According to U.S. Strategic Command, the Omid satellite re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 25 April 2009, during an 8-hour window centered on 0342 UT. The most likely re-entry location was over the south Atlantic Ocean, east of Buenos Aires, Argentina. No sightings were reported.[20] The rocket body from the launch, which had also entered orbit, re-entered the atmosphere 31 May 2009.[21]
Further launches
editIran launched Rasad 1 on 15 June 2011, orbiting for three weeks.
See also
edit
- Iranian Space Agency
- List of orbits
- Safir (rocket)
- Sina-1
- Khayyam satellite
- Timeline of first orbital launches by country
References
edit- ^ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Trajectory Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
- ^ "Iran launches first space research center". individual.com. February 4, 2008. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
- ^ "Omid boosts Iran's Space Capabilities". ASM Magazine. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 31 July 2010. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
- ^ a b Fredrik Dahl and Edmund Blair (3 February 2009). "Iran launches first home-made satellite: state TV". Reuters. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
- ^ "Iran puts Omid data-processing satellite into orbit". IRNA. 2009-02-03. Archived from the original on 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
- ^ a b OMID Satellite Launch Report (PDF) (Report). Iranian Space Agency. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
- ^ "NASA NSSDC Master Catalog". NASA NSSDC. 1 June 2009.
- ^ "Video: Iran sends first homemade satellite into orbit". The Guardian. February 3, 2009 – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ a b "Iran launches homegrown satellite". BBC News. 2009-02-03. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ^ "Iran's Omid satellite launched into orbit". 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ "r00t.cz : Sats / Omid : browse". www.r00t.cz.
- ^ "Iran space rocket successfully transmits data". USA Today. 2008-02-17. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ^ "First Iranian satellite launched". BBC. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ^ "DEBKAfile - Iran launches first space research rocket Safir 1". Archived from the original on 2009-09-03. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
- ^ "Iran launches satellite carrier". BBC News. 2008-08-17. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ^ "Iran satellite launch a failure: U.S. official". Reuters. August 19, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ Stephen Clark (3 February 2009). "Iran puts satellite into Earth orbit". Spaceflight Now.
- ^ "Omid - Orbit Data". Heavens Above. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ^ "Iranian satellite completes mission: state TV". Reuters. March 19, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "Spaceweather.com Time Machine". www.spaceweather.com.
- ^ "SPACEWARN Bulletin 667". NASA NSSDC. 1 June 2009.