Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali praised the successful launch of the Iranian satellites Kowsar and Hudhud into Earth’s orbit. In a social media post, Jalali announced that the first signals from the two satellites were received by ground stations in Iran a few hours after they were placed in a 500-kilometre orbit. According to IRNA, a partner of TV BRICS, this achievement is an important step in the field of space cooperation between Iran and Russia. The ambassador stated that this achievement is a proof of the capabilities of the Iranian scientific community and the perseverance of the country’s experts. He also expressed hope that this event will contribute to the growing technological development between Iran and Russia, stressing the importance of supporting relevant institutions to expand these projects.

The Kowsar and Hudhud satellites were launched in the early hours of Tuesday morning from Russia’s Vostochny spaceport via the Soyuz 2.1 launch vehicle. After being successfully placed in orbit, Hudhud sent its signals to Earth first, followed by Kowsar. Reports confirmed that the reception of these signals symbolises the success of the launch, the separation of the two satellites from the carrier rocket, and the proper opening of the antennas, which ensures their good performance.

Kowsar is larger in size and weight than Hudhud, necessitating additional measures to ensure its successful operation, including dealing with the solar panels that successfully opened from the external vessel.

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