TEHRAN – Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Wednesday that Iran will send the Fajr (Dawn) satellite into space within three months. 

 

On February 5, Vahidi announced that Iran plans to launch new generation of domestically manufactured satellites in the near future. 

 

The Fajr is the first new-generation satellite that would be put into orbit, he said at the time. 

 

On February 3, Iran successfully launched its third domestically manufactured satellite, named the Navid (Promise), into orbit. On February 8, Iran received the first image sent by the Navid satellite. 

 

The Navid is designed to collect data on weather conditions and monitor for natural disasters. It has advanced control technology, a higher resolution camera, and photocells to generate power. 

 

Iran launched its first domestically manufactured satellite, called Omid (Hope), into orbit on February 2, 2009. The Rasad (Observation) satellite was also sent into space On June 17, 2011.