Tasnim – An official at the Iranian Space Agency said the homegrown satellite ‘Payam’ has so far passed all pre-launch tests.

Ali Sadeqi Nayini on Monday said Payam has undergone several tests at ground stations in the past days.

The satellite was taken to a space research center for the third stage of tests on its systems, he noted, adding that it has passed all the tests.

The current stage of tests will finish within the next few days, the official added.

Sadeqi Nayini also explained that the whole process of manufacturing satellites for measuring purposes, from designing to launch and data analysis, are now fully carried out by local experts.

“No country has helped us in this sphere and this technology is fully indigenous,” he stressed.

Iran has in recent years made great headways in the space technology thanks to the efforts made by its local scientists.

The country successfully launched its first indigenous data-processing satellite, Omid (Hope), into orbit in February 2009.

In February 2017, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani unveiled 3 new achievements in the space industry, including Payam, which has been made in Tehran’s Amirkabir University of Technology with the mission to take surveying images at resolutions below 40 meters. Equipped with a range of homegrown technologies, the satellite will go into orbit with a local carrier.

In July 2017, Iran inaugurated the Imam Khomeini National Space Center with the successful test-launch of a homegrown satellite carrier dubbed Simorgh.

The center, home to Iran’s first fixed launch platform, administrates the development, launch, and navigation of Iranian satellite carriers.

Designed and built in compliance with international standards, the Imam Khomeini National Space Center is going to handle all space projects in the low?Earth orbit (LEO).