 Safir's 2012 launch fromSemnan Space Center with Navid satellite as its payload | |
| Function | LEOlaunch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Iranian Space Agency |
| Country of origin | Iran |
| Size | |
| Height | 22 m (72ft) |
| Diameter | 1.25 m (4.10ft) |
| Mass | 26,000 kg |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload toLEO | |
| Mass | 50 kilograms (110 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Semnan Space Center |
| Total launches | 7 (1 unconfirmed) (+2 test flights) |
| Success(es) | 4 |
| Failure | 3 (1 unconfirmed) |
| First flight | 17 August 2008 |
| Last flight | 5 February 2019 |
| First stage | |
| Powered by | 1 × modifiedShahab-3 engine |
| Maximum thrust | 363 kN (82,000 lbf) |
| Propellant | N2O4 /UDMH[citation needed] |
| Second stage | |
| Powered by | 2 × LRE-4 (R-27 Zybvernier engines) |
| Maximum thrust | 35 kN (7,900 lbf) |
| Propellant | N2O4 /UDMH |
TheSafir (Persian:سفیر, meaning "ambassador") was the firstIranianexpendable launch vehicle able to place a satellite in orbit.[1] The first successful orbital launch using the Safir launch system took place on 2 February 2009 when a Safir carrier rocket placed theOmid satellite into an orbit with a 245.2 km (152.4 mi)apogee.[2][3] This made Iran the ninth nationcapable of producing and launching a satellite.[4]
TheSimorgh is a largerorbital launcher based on Safir technology which has since replaced the Safir, and is sometimes called the Safir-2.[5]
The Safir measures 1.25 meters in diameter, 22 meters in height and has a launching mass of 26 tons. The rocket consists of two stages; The first stage utilizes an upgradedNodong/Shahab-3 type engine which burns ahypergolic combination ofUDMH as fuel andnitrogen tetroxide as oxidant, producing 37 tons (363 kN; 82,500 lbf) of thrust. The second stage utilizes a pair of smallergimballed engines called LRE-4, fed by a commonturbopump (originally theVernier engines of theR-27 Zyb SovietSLBM[6]) burning the same fuel combination as the first stage and producing 3.5 tons (35 kN; 7700 lbf) of thrust. This configuration gives Safir the ability to inject a payload with a maximum weight of 50 kilograms intolow Earth orbit.[7]
Kavoshgar-1 (Persian:کاوشگر ۱, "Explorer-1") was Safir's precursor used as asounding rocket, asub-orbital flight was conducted on 4 February 2008, as announced by state-run television. A launch on 25 February 2007 may also have been of the same type. The flight carried instruments to measure the higheratmosphere. The rocket launched on 4 February 2008 was a liquid-propellant-driven rocket, a derivative of theShahab-3, that reached an altitude of 200–250 km inspace, and successfully returned science data according to theIranian News Agency.[8][9]
On 19 February 2008, Iran offered new information about the rocket and announced thatKavoshgar-1 used a two staged rocket. The first stage separated after 100 seconds and returned to earth with the help of a parachute. The second stage continued its ascent to an altitude of 200 kilometers.[10]
The Safir-1A is the first upgraded variant of the original Safir, these upgrades include, refinement of the second stageretro-rockets, stage separation systems, various sensors andtelemetry systems, navigation and control systems, as well as increasing maximum orbit height from 250 to 275 kilometers.[11][12]
The Safir-1B is a further upgrade of the Safir-1A design, the first-stage engine has been upgraded and refined, resulting in an increase in thrust from 32 to 37 tons (363 kN; 82,500 lbf), the second stage engine has been upgraded withthrust vector control capability and has been made more efficient. These upgrades have increased payload capability to 50 kilograms, and have increased maximum orbit height to 400 kilometers.[7][12]
During the unveiling ceremony of theZuljanahsatellite launch vehicle on the state TV, Seyed Ahmad Husseini, the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense's Aerospace Organization stated that the Safir launch vehicle is in a state of retirement and no further launches are planned with this vehicle.[13][14][15]
Safir made eight launches in its operational career, putting four satellites into orbit.
| Test flights | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight no. | Date & time (UTC) | Payload | Configuration | Outcome | Remarks | |||
| 1 | 4 February 2008 | Unknown | Kavoshgar-1 | Success | Successful suborbital test flight of Safir's precursor.[8][9] | |||
| 2 | 17 August 2008 | Unknown; may be boilerplate | Safir-1 | Maybe | Iranian officials assert it was a successful suborbital test carrying aboilerplate satellite. US defense officials assert the vehicle failed after first-stage powered flight.[16][17] | |||
| Operational flights | ||||||||
| Flight no. | Date & time (UTC) | Payload | Configuration | Outcome | Achieved orbit | Remarks | ||
| 1 | 2 February 2009 |  Omid | 27 kg | Safir-1 | Success | 381.2 x 245.5 km, i 55.71° | First successful orbital launch of Safir making Iran theninth country to develop an indigenous satellite launch capability.[18] | |
| 2 | 15 June 2011 | Rasad | 15.3 kg | Safir-1A | Success | 271 x 233 km, i 55.6° | Rasad-1 was launched on the maiden flight of the Safir-1A | |
| 3 | 3 February 2012 | Navid | 50 kg | Safir-1B | Success | 375 x 250 km, i 55° | New configuration of the Safir carrier rocket, featuring a larger second stage with 20% more thrust.[19] | |
| ? | Between 18 May and 21 June 2012 | ? | ? | ? | Supposed failure | Satellite imagery shows a blast scar on launch pad, suggesting that there has been a launch. No officials have confirmed a launch. It may have been either an engine test or rocket failure at high altitude.[5] | ||
| 5 | 2 February 2015 | Fajr | 52 kg | Safir-1B | Success | 470 x 224 km, i 55.57° | First Iranian satellite with orbital maneuverability using cold-gas thrusters. | |
| 6 | 5 February 2019 | Doosti | 52 kg | Safir-1B | Failure | The Deputy Minister of Defense in Iran claimed a successful launch.[20] Research associates at theMiddlebury Institute of International Studies claimed the launch failed at some point after liftoff.[21] | ||
| (7) | 29 August 2019 | No payload[22] | Safir-1B | Failure | Launch preparation accident.[23][24] | |||
Other Iranian satellite launch vehicles
