Iran Unveils New Satellite Carrier
News number: 881114122415:18 | 2010-02-03Science
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8811141224

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran on Wednesday unveiled a new home-made satellite carrier
capable of carrying 60-kilogram (132-pound) satellites 500 kilometers (310
miles) into orbit.

The satellite carrier named 'Simorgh' (Phoenix, a legendary bird in Persian
stories) utilizes a new generation of liquid-fuel engines to put satellites
in orbit.

The milk-bottle shaped rocket, emblazoned in blue with the words "Satellite
Carrier Simorgh," is equipped to carry a 60-kilogram (132-pound) satellite
500 kilometers (310 miles) into orbit.

The 27-meter (90-foot) tall multi-stage rocket weighs 85 tons and its liquid
fuel propulsion system has a thrust of up to 143 tons. The rocket uses a
cluster of four engines each having a thrust of 32 tons plus a control
engine with a thrust of 15 tons.

Experts believe that the engine could be used in future for carrying
700-kilogram (1540-pound) satellites 1000 kilometers (620 miles) into orbit.

Simorgh is different from Iran's first home-made satellite carrier Safir
(Ambassador) - which carried Iran's Omid (Hope) satellite - both in length
and diameter and has been designed to carry the new generation of Iranian
satellites into the orbit.

Omid (hope) was Iran's first research satellite that was designed for
gathering information and testing equipment. After orbiting for three
months, Omid successfully completed its mission without any problems. It
completed more than 700 orbits over seven weeks and reentered the earth's
atmosphere on April 25.

Also, Iran in November announced that it is slated to launch another
research satellite, the Mesbah 2, in 2011 as part of the country's efforts
to own an independent space program.

Mesbah, which means "Lantern," has a lifespan of three years. It is equipped
with a store and forward communications receiver that can gather information
from various parts of the planet and transmit it back to the Earth.

Mesbah will weigh 63.5 kilograms, more than twice the mass of Omid, which
was placed into orbit on the back of two carrier rockets last February.