Tehran: Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has announced that the Chabahar Space Base, located in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, is ready to launch a satellite at the earliest opportunity. Sattar Hashemi made the announcement during the World Space Day ceremony, stating that the launch base has reached 93 percent completion and its first phase will be operational imminently.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the Chabahar satellite base is dedicated to medium-heavy liquid-fueled launch vehicles and serves as Iran’s national space launch site. It is one of several bases currently under construction. Hashemi also revealed that Iran will officially inaugurate two other major ground satellite stations-Salmas and Chenaran-by the end of the year. ‘We will inform the public about the official launch of these stations,’ he added.

Hashemi emphasized that the infrastructure for satellite development is being established under the current administration, and Iran’s homegrown space industry and satellites hold significant promise for the Islamic Republic. He highlighted Iran’s growing capabilities in space communications by noting that, for the first time, message and call relay was established in the KU band, allowing a text message to be sent from one station and received at the Qeshm station.

The minister also mentioned the various names assigned to Iranian satellites-Hodhod, Nahid, Pars, and Mahda-explaining that each name reflects the satellite’s specific function in space. ‘We must choose a path that improves the quality of life,’ Hashemi stressed, while acknowledging the environmental and social challenges that have accompanied global development since the industrial revolution. ‘In this direction, we have become a global village thanks to communication infrastructure and technology,’ he concluded.