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Safir (rocket)

Iranian satellite rocket

Field	Value
image	Safir navid 1.jpg
caption	Safir's 2012 launch from Semnan Space Center with Navid satellite as its payload
name	Safir
function	LEO launch vehicle
manufacturer	Iranian Space Agency
country-origin	Iran
height	22 m (72ft)
diameter	1.25 m (4.10ft)
mass	26,000 kg
stages	2
location	LEO
kilos	50 kg}}
status	Retired
sites	Semnan Space Center
launches	7 (1 unconfirmed)
(+2 test flights)
success	4
fail	3 (1 unconfirmed)
first	17 August 2008
last	5 February 2019
type	stage
stageno	First
engines	1 × modified Shahab-3 engine
thrust	363 kN
fuel	[](dinitrogen-tetroxide) / UDMH
type	stage
stageno	Second
engines	2 × LRE-4 (R-27 Zyb vernier engines)
thrust	35 kN
fuel	[](dinitrogen-tetroxide) / UDMH

|country-origin = Iran (+2 test flights)

The Safir (, meaning "ambassador") was the first Iranian expendable launch vehicle able to place a satellite in orbit. The first successful orbital launch using the Safir launch system took place on 2 February 2009 when a Safir carrier rocket placed the Omid satellite into an orbit with a 245.2 km apogee. This made Iran the ninth nation capable of producing and launching a satellite.

The Simorgh is a larger orbital launcher based on Safir technology which has since replaced the Safir, and is sometimes called the Safir-2.

Design and specifications

The Safir measures 1.25 meters in diameter, 22 meters in height and has a launching mass of 26 tons. The rocket consists of two stages; The first stage utilizes an upgraded Nodong/Shahab-3 type engine which burns a hypergolic combination of UDMH as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide as oxidant, producing 37 tons (363 kN; 82,500 lbf) of thrust. The second stage utilizes a pair of smaller gimballed engines called LRE-4, fed by a common turbopump (originally the Vernier engines of the R-27 Zyb Soviet SLBM) burning the same fuel combination as the first stage and producing 3.5 tons (35 kN; 7700 lbf) of thrust. This configuration gives Safir the ability to inject a payload with a maximum weight of 50 kilograms into low Earth orbit.

Variants

Kavoshgar-1

Kavoshgar-1 (, "Explorer-1") was Safir's precursor used as a sounding rocket, a sub-orbital flight was conducted on 4 February 2008, as announced by state-run television. A launch on 25 February 2007 may also have been of the same type. The flight carried instruments to measure the higher atmosphere. The rocket launched on 4 February 2008 was a liquid-propellant-driven rocket, a derivative of the Shahab-3, that reached an altitude of 200–250 km in space, and successfully returned science data according to the Iranian News Agency.

On 19 February 2008, Iran offered new information about the rocket and announced that Kavoshgar-1 used a two staged rocket. The first stage separated after 100 seconds and returned to earth with the help of a parachute. The second stage continued its ascent to an altitude of 200 kilometers.

Safir-1A

The Safir-1A is the first upgraded variant of the original Safir, these upgrades include, refinement of the second stage retro-rockets, stage separation systems, various sensors and telemetry systems, navigation and control systems, as well as increasing maximum orbit height from 250 to 275 kilometers.

Safir-1B

The Safir-1B is a further upgrade of the Safir-1A design, the first-stage engine has been upgraded and refined, resulting in an increase in thrust from 32 to 37 tons (363 kN; 82,500 lbf), the second stage engine has been upgraded with thrust vector control capability and has been made more efficient. These upgrades have increased payload capability to 50 kilograms, and have increased maximum orbit height to 400 kilometers.

Retirement

During the unveiling ceremony of the Zuljanah satellite launch vehicle on the state TV, Seyed Ahmad Husseini, the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense's Aerospace Organization stated that the Safir launch vehicle is in a state of retirement and no further launches are planned with this vehicle.

Launch history

Safir made eight launches in its operational career, putting four satellites into orbit.

Test flights	Flight no.	Date & time (UTC)	Payload	Configuration	Outcome	Remarks	Operational flights	Flight no.	Date & time	Payload	Configuration	Outcome	Achieved orbit
1	4 February 2008	Unknown	Kavoshgar-1		Successful suborbital test flight of Safir's precursor.
2	17 August 2008	Unknown; may be boilerplate	Safir-1		Iranian officials assert it was a successful suborbital test carrying a boilerplate satellite. US defense officials assert the vehicle failed after first-stage powered flight.
1	2 February 2009	Iran Omid	27 kg	Safir-1		381.2 x 245.5 km, i 55.71°	First successful orbital launch of Safir making Iran the ninth country to develop an indigenous satellite launch capability.
2	15 June 2011	Iran Rasad	15.3 kg	Safir-1A		271 x 233 km, i 55.6°	Rasad-1 was launched on the maiden flight of the Safir-1A
3	3 February 2012	Iran Navid	50 kg	Safir-1B		375 x 250 km, i 55°	New configuration of the Safir carrier rocket, featuring a larger second stage with 20% more thrust.
?	Between 18 May and 21 June 2012	?	?	?			url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/02/11/second-iranian-satellite-launch-attempt-in-a-month-fails/	title=Second Iranian satellite launch attempt in a month fails	last=Clark	first=Stephen	publisher=Spaceflight Now	date=11 February 2019	access-date=12 February 2019}}
5	2 February 2015	Iran Fajr	52 kg	Safir-1B		470 x 224 km, i 55.57°	First Iranian satellite with orbital maneuverability using cold-gas thrusters.
6	5 February 2019	Iran Doosti	52 kg	Safir-1B			The Deputy Minister of Defense in Iran claimed a successful launch. Research associates at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies claimed the launch failed at some point after liftoff.
(7)	29 August 2019	No payload	Safir-1B			Launch preparation accident.

Gallery

File:Safir navid 2.jpg|2012 launch of navid satellite File:Omid 0650.jpg|Safir at an exhibition at the Mosalla of Tehran File:Omid 0658.jpg|Safir first-stage engine

References

(17 August 2008). "Iran says it has put first dummy satellite in orbit". [[Reuters]].
"OMID Spacecraft - Trajectory Details". [[NASA]].
"The Threat". US Missile Defense Agency.
Clark, Stephen. (2 February 2009). "Iran Launches Omid Satellite Into Orbit".
(2023-02-01). "A look at Iran’s space technology achievements".
"Soviet R-27 SLBM and the reuse of its steering engines by North Korea and Iran".
"Safir-1A/B IRILV".
ایران, پایگاه اطلاع رسانی شبکه خبر صدا و سیمای جمهوری اسلامی. (2015-04-06). "نگاهی به توانمندی ایران در بخش موشک های ماهواره‌ بر و نظامی". Islamic Republic of Iran News Network.
(2008). "Iran's Research Rocket Beams Back Science Data". Space.com.
Yiftah Shapir. (March 5, 2008). "The Launch of the Iranian Kavoshgar Rocket". The Institute for National Security Studies.
(1 February 2021). ""Zoljanah" ozv-e jadid-e eskadrān-e mahvāre-barhā-ye Irāni shod". [[Iranian Students' News Agency]].
(18 August 2013). "Khānevāde-ye mahvāre-barhā-ye 'Safir' rā behtar beshenāsid".
(29 January 2020). "Negāhi be mahvāre-barhā-ye Irāni (Safir va Simorgh)".
(2020-01-28). ""سفیر" رسما بازنشسته شد تا "سیمرغ" مهیای سفر فضایی شود/ طلسم استفاده ماهواره‌بر ایرانی از سوخت جامد با سریر و سروش می‌شکند؟ +عکس".
"Sokhanguy-e goruh-e fazāyi-ye vezārat-e defā: mahvāre-barhā-ye "Sarir" va "Sorush" ronamāyi mishavand / be donbāl-e mahvāre-bar-e sukhte jāmed hastim - akhbār-e nezāmi {{!}} Def - akhbār-e siāsi Tasnim".
(2008-08-17). "Iran launches satellite carrier". BBC News.
(6 February 2018). "Safir Data Sheet".
McDowell, Jonathan. ["Issue 606"](http://planet4589.org/space/jsr/latest.html). Jonathan's Space Report.
"ماهواره ملي"نويد علم و صنعت"به‌فضا پرتاب شد".
Clark, Stephen. (11 February 2019). "Second Iranian satellite launch attempt in a month fails". Spaceflight Now.
(2019-02-07). "Иран запустил второй за месяц спутник собственного производства".
Brumfiel, Geoff. (2019-02-06). "Satellite Imagery Suggests 2nd Iranian Space Launch Has Failed".
(2021-04-20). "Mysterious Iran rocket blast draws Trump tweet, Tehran taunt".
[https://www.npr.org/2019/08/29/755406765/iranian-rocket-launch-ends-in-failure-images-show?t=1567107739452 Iranian Rocket Launch Ends In Failure, Imagery Shows] npr.org
[https://www.space.com/iran-rocket-launch-failure-satellite-photo.html Iran rocket launch failure satellite photo] space.com

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