Overview
The Iranian Space Agency (ISA), established in 2004 in Tehran, runs the civil side of a programme that made Iran the ninth nation to orbit its own satellite — Omid, launched on a Safir rocket in February 2009, the first new country to join the orbital-launch club in the 21st century.
Iranian spaceflight runs on two tracks. The civil programme flies the liquid-fuelled Simorgh from the Imam Khomeini Spaceport at Semnan, while the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) operates its own Qased and solid-fuelled Qaem-100 rockets from Shahroud, along with the Noor military reconnaissance satellites. Recent years have been the programme's busiest: the Soraya satellite reached a record 750 km orbit in January 2024, Simorgh delivered multiple payloads that same month, and the Kowsar and Hodhod satellites flew in late 2024. Sanctions keep Western components out of reach, so Iran builds most of its hardware domestically and launches some spacecraft, like the Khayyam imaging satellite, on Russian rockets.
Quick Facts
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Iranian Space Agency |
| Abbreviation | ISA |
| Country | Iran |
| Headquarters | Tehran |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Head | Hassan Salarieh (President) |
| Launch Sites | Imam Khomeini Spaceport (Semnan); Shahroud (IRGC) |
| Crewed Capability | No (suborbital crewed capsule in development) |
| Website | www.isa.ir |
Key Programmes
Simorgh & civil launchers
The liquid-fuelled Simorgh is the civil programme's workhorse-in-progress; after years of failures it delivered multiple satellites to orbit in January 2024. The Zuljanah hybrid rocket adds a second path.
IRGC military track
The Revolutionary Guard fields the Qased rocket and the solid-fuelled Qaem-100, which orbited Soraya at a record 750 km in 2024, plus the Noor reconnaissance satellite series.
Satellites
Khayyam (Russian-launched, 2022) anchors Earth observation; Pars-1, Chamran-1, Kowsar and Hodhod followed in 2024. The Nahid communications satellites continue development.
Chabahar spaceport
A new coastal launch site under construction at Chabahar aims to support larger rockets and sun-synchronous launches southward over the Indian Ocean.
Launch Infrastructure
| Site | Role |
|---|---|
| Imam Khomeini Spaceport, Semnan | Civil launch site — Safir heritage, Simorgh flights |
| Shahroud Space Center | IRGC site — Qased and Qaem-100 launches |
| Chabahar Spaceport | Under construction on the Gulf of Oman coast |
Launch Vehicles
| Vehicle | Role |
|---|---|
| Simorgh | Civil liquid-fuelled orbital launcher |
| Qased / Qaem-100 | IRGC launchers — solid-fuel path |
| Zuljanah | Hybrid-propellant launcher in development |