IRNA Iran is planning to launch its 2nd satellite to space on the occasion of the 40th victory anniversary of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said.
Talking to reporters after the Wednesday session of the Iranian cabinet, he noted that one of the two satellites that President Hassan Rouhani had mentioned in a recent speech was launched and the other one will be launched soon.
Iran is steadying improving its capacities and capabilities in the area of launching satellites, Hatami said, adding that the process of constructing, launching and supporting the satellites have been totally quite indigenized.
He went on to say that the satellite will be launched by Safir expendable launch vehicle.
Safir is capable of putting satellites into 260-km orbit.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Hatami referred to unsuccessful launching of Iranian satellite Payam, saying it was supposed to be put in 500 km orbit but it failed in the last step.
Earlier, Iranian Minister of Communications and Information Technology in a message announced that Iran's Payam satellite has not been put into orbit successfully.
Payam-e Amirkabir Satellite was designed and developed by Tehrans Amirkabir University of Technology and was planned to carry out imagery mission in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Iran has previously sent Simorgh satellite and Pajouhesh explorer into the orbit in recent years.
The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) has planned to build imagery satellites with one-meter-precision by the end of current Irans 20-year National Vision Program in 2025.
The first human-made satellite to orbit earth Sputnik-1 was launched on October 4, 1957 and ten years later on October 10, 1967 the Outer Space Treaty which defines countries space borders of exploration, and provides a basis for International Space Law was signed.