Iran Rassad satellite sends 1st images

Iran's second satellite christened Rassad (Observation) has released the first images and telemetric information, an Iranian Defense Ministry official says.

Iran's Deputy Defense Minister Reza Mozaffari-Nia said that Rassad sent its first information about the satellite's subsystems to the earth-based stations on Sunday morning, IRNA reported.

"Information received from the satellite shows that the subsystems are working in the best condition and that the satellite is in a position better than what had been predicted," he added.

The Iranian official stated that new orders have been given to the satellite to send further images and noted that Rassad will release new images from its future positions, Press TV reported.

Iran successfully launched its Rassad satellite, which is the country's first such imaging device, into space on June 15.

The satellite was launched by the Safir-e-Rassad satellite carrier and has the mission to take images of the earth's surface and relay them to the earth-based stations together with telemetric information.

Despite its 15.3-kilogram weight, which puts it under the category of the micro-satellites, Rassad has all the features of a big satellite.

It has undergone all the stages required for its designing, manufacturing, assembly, test and preparation for launch inside the country.

It will orbit the earth at an altitude of 260 kilometers 15 times every 24 hours.

The satellite is equipped with solar panels and uses solar energy to work.

Iran launched its first domestically-produced satellite Omid (Hope) in 2009, which made it the ninth country to develop satellite launch capability.

Following the launch of Rassad satellite, head of the Iranian Space Agency Hamid Fazeli said on Thursday that Iran plans to put three new satellites into orbit by the end of the current Iranian year (ending March 20).

He added that the satellites of Kavoshgar 5 (Explorer 5) that will carry animals, Fajr and Navid will be launched into space.

Tehran also plans to launch the country's first manned mission to space by 2019.


/Trend/