Safir (rocket)

Safir

Prior to the 2 February 2009 launch with Omid on board
Function	LEO launch 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 to LEO	50 kilograms (110 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	Shahab
Launch history
Status	Operational
Launch sites	Iran Space Center
Total launches	7
Successes	Orbital: 4 Sub-Orbital: 1
Failures	2

The Safir (Persian: سفیر‎‎, meaning "ambassador") is the name of the first Iranian expendable launch vehicle that is able to place a satellite in orbit. The first successful orbital launch using the Safir launch system took place on 2 February 2009 when a Safir carrier rocket placed the Omid satellite into an orbit with a 245.2 km (152.4 mi) apogee.

A sub-orbital test flight, named Kavoshgar-1 (Persian: کاوشگر ۱‎‎, "Explorer-1"), 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 first flights carried instruments to measure the higher atmosphere. The rocket launched on 4 February 2008 was a liquid-propellant-driven rocket, probably a derivative of the Shahab-3, that reached an altitude of 200–250 km in space, and successfully returned science data according to the Iranian News Agency.

On 19 February 2008, Iran offered new information about the rocket and announced that Kavoshgar-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 the altitude of 200 kilometres. However it was not intended to reach orbital velocity.

Earlier reports by the Iranian News Agency suggested that Kavoshgar-1 used a three staged rocket with the first stage separating after 90 seconds and the rocket reaching an orbit between 200 and 250 kilometres.

The successful development and launch of a sounding-space-rocket was already announced a year earlier, on 25 February 2007. It is unknown if the sounding rocket launched on 25 February 2007, and the rocket launched on 4 February 2008, are of the same type.

Safir has made 6 launches so far putting 4 satellight into orbits.