By Sarah Cope | 2025-11-18

After repeated delays, Iran's long planned Chabahar Space Center is finally ready for its first orbital launch, according to a top official, and the country has announced plans to launch three domestic satellites in the near future.

Iranian Space Agency head Hassan Salarieh has confirmed the near completion of the first phase of the new national satellite launch base, also known as the Mahdi Space Center, Iranian news outlets reported in early October.

The center's first phase is specifically designed to support solid-fuel launch vehicles, according to Tasnim and other Iranian media outlets.

The center's second phase will be constructed to launch liquid-fuel satellite carriers, which are capable of carrying heavier loads and will be used to put heavier satellites into orbit and conduct "multiple launches," Salarieh said.

Ground is expected to be broken soon on phase two, the Tehran Times reported.

Iran is planning to deploy its multi-application Earth-observation satellites Zafar, Paya and Kowsar in the early winter, as well as experimental units of the Shahid Soleimani communications constellation, Salarieh announced in late October.

He claims "Iran has now developed the capacity to design and produce satellites weighing up to 250kg," WANA news agency reported.

Iran's Simorgh program, a rocket designed to carry heavier payloads, has struggled to place payloads in orbit.

A turning point for Iran?

First announced in 2010 and beset with delays, the Chabahar Space Center -- located on the Gulf of Oman in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province -- was previously slated to open in February.

Salarieh said the new facility, along with projects in Salmas and Chenaran, will expand Iran’s ability to control satellites and analyze data domestically, according to the Tehran Times.

Its proximity to the equator will enable rockets to leverage Earth’s rotational speed, reducing fuel consumption during launches.

By diversifying its launch capabilities beyond its primary spaceport, Semnan, Iran has the opportunity to reduce program bottlenecks and provide redundancy and resilience in infrastructure.

The additional facility would enable it to continue launches, in the event that one site is compromised, and the new location's ability to provide favorable launch trajectories over open water offers significant advantages.

But whether the inaugural launches planned for Chabahar mark a turning point for Iran's space program remains to be seen.