Tehran, Feb 7, IRNA – Spokesman for Iran Aerospace Organization said Simorgh launcher and Zafar Satellite are ready to be launched into space from Imam Khomeini space center.

Ahmad Hosseini said Simorgh and Zafar have been transferred to Imam Khomeini spaceport, adding that all infrastructures have been prepared for the operation.

He noted that 200 main processes have been accomplished by 30 teams.

Hosseini referred to complicated conditions of launching Simorgh and Zafar, and said the launching operation will start once all grounds are prepared.

He noted that taking step by step data gathering and doing analyses are of importance for scientists to be able to take further strides.

Earlier, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi appreciated the efforts made by Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier Amir Hatami, saying Iranian Simorgh weighs over 80 tons and will take Zafar satellite to 530 km up into the outer atmosphere.

Meanwhile, in response to users’ question with regard to cost of the project, Azari-Jahromi said that less than two million euro has been spent for making the satellite, adding that it would cost five times more if we wanted to buy it.

In the meantime, spokesman for Ministry of Defense Aerospace Organization Ahmad Hosseini said Iran broke the monopoly of nine states over know-how to launch satellites.

Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology said on January 22 that Zafar Research Satellite has been developed by specialists and elites of the University of Science and Technology and has been delivered to the Space Organization for putting it into orbit.

The satellite has been designed for imaging, sending and saving messages and creating a link between the two users.

Preparing map of lands, basic map, civil development map, agricultural fields map, map on changes in lands natural environment and jungles, monitoring developments in seasonal and perpetual lakes, identifying damaged areas after the crisis and upgrading structural maps are among missions of the satellite.

Zafar also carries S&F consignment which provides features such as broadcasting a single message to all users, one-way voice communication between two users, sending a message to 256 direct users.

9376**2050 Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish