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Noor (satellite)

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Noor
Qased rocket carrying Noor-1 taking off
Noor-1 is launched on board a Qased rocket
Country of origin Iran
OperatorIRGC
Specifications
Spacecraft typeEarth-imaging
BusCubeSat (6U)
PowerSolar cells, batteries
Design life1 year
Production
Built3
Launched3
Operational2
Retired1
Maiden launch22 April 2020
Last launch27 September 2023

Noor (also spelled Nour, Persian: نور, lit. 'Light') is a class of Iranian military Earth-imaging CubeSat. Three Noor satellites have been launched from the Shahroud Space Center in Shahrud Desert in Iran into low Earth orbit aboard three-stage Qased (lit. 'message') space-launch vehicles.[1]

Noor-1, the first Iranian military satellite,[2][3][4] was launched on 22 April 2020 to a 425 kilometer orbit and decayed from orbit on 13 April 2022 marking a lifespan of one year, eleven months, and nine days, just past its expected one year service life.[5] Noor-1 carried a photo of former Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani and a Quranic verse about overcoming adversaries.[6]

Noor-2, the second satellite of the Noor class, was launched on 8 March 2022 (during the Sha'baniyah holiday) to a 500 kilometer orbit. It has a resolution of 12 to 15 meters, a weight of 17 kg, a swath width of 25 km and 6 passes. Noor-2 continues to provide the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with low-resolution overhead imagery.[7][8]

Noor-3, also called Najm is the third satellite of the Noor class, was launched on a Qassed launcher on 27 September 2023 to a 450 kilometer orbit. It has a weight of 24 kg with a resolution of 6 to 4.8 meters.

According to the Space Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, the Noor 3 satellite was stabilized in 1.5 hours and the process it took in the Noor 1 satellite was done automatically in 1 hour in the Noor 3 satellite.The camera used in Noor 3 satellite has up to 2.5 times better photo accuracy than Noor 2. He also added, "In the field of defense, we can use the satellite system for intelligence elites, command and control, and for guiding guided equipment".[9]

The Noor satellite program is a unique development for Iran as it was the first satellite to be developed and launched by the IRGC instead of the Iranian Space Agency.[6]

Reaction

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Iran

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IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami remarked "Today, the world’s powerful armies do not have a comprehensive defense plan without being in space. Achieving this superior technology, which takes us into space and expands the realm of our abilities, is a strategic achievement."[6]

United States

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On April 22, 2020 U.S. Department of Defense acknowledged that Iran successfully launched its first military satellite.[10]

Senior Pentagon officials called Iran's satellite launch a provocation. General John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed on the Qased satellite carrier technology, saying that "when you have a missile capable of going a very long way... it means that [Iran] has the ability once again to threaten their neighbors, our allies".[11] The satellite itself, however, was dismissed by Space Force General John W. Raymond as "a tumbling webcam in space; unlikely providing intel."[7]

Then President Donald Trump said that the satellite launch is not an advancement on the Iran's missile program and the showcasing "was only for television," while the US is watching Iran very closely.[12]

France

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The French Foreign Ministry condemned Iran's launch of a military satellite into orbit. Concurring with the United States' accusations that the same development would contribute to Iran's offensive ballistic missile program, the Foreign Ministry said "The Iranian ballistics program is a major concern for regional and international security. It contributes to the destabilization of the region and the rise in tensions."[13]

Russia

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Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, remarked to the international body "the ongoing attempts of the United States side to deprive Iran of the right to reap the benefits of peaceful space technology under false pretexts are a cause for serious concern and profound regret."[14]

Other

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Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of Rai al-Youm and Al Quds Al Arabi said that "Iran's recent launched military satellite to space will change the region's equations."[15]

Controversies

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External image
image icon Doctored Google Earth image claimed by Fars as Noor imagery

On 29 July 2020, Iranian state-owned Fars News Agency published an article headlined "Al-Udeid Air Base Observed with Noor Satellite" claiming to show an overhead image of the United States' Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar "a gathering place for the CENTCOM terrorist air force" imaged by the Noor-1 satellite.[16] Twitter open-source commentators suggested that the published image was a "recolored Maxar image from Google Earth".[17][18][19]

Operation

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Noor satellites circle the Earth once every 90 minutes.[6]

On 10 May 2022, Iranian Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Issa Zarepour published on his Instagram a low-resolution, true-color, overhead image of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet Base in Bahrain taken from the Noor-2 satellite.[20] The minister's account was banned from Instagram hours later.

Noor-class Satellites
English Name Persian Name Launch Date Altitude Resolution COSPAR Operational Status
Noor-1 ماهواره نور ۱ 22 April 2020 425 km ~20 m 2020-024A[21] Non-operational, decayed from orbit on 13 April 2022
Noor-2 ماهواره نور ۲ 13 April 2022 500 km ~13 m 2022-024A[21] Operational
Noor-3 ماهواره نور ۳ 27 September 2023 450 km ~5 m 2023-150A[21] Operational

References

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  1. ^ Global News (22 April 2020). "Iran's Revolutionary Guards say it launched country's first military satellite into orbit". Corus.
  2. ^ Noor satellite, world reactions iribnews.ir Retrieved 22 April 2020
  3. ^ IRGC mentioned about the first successful launching of military satellite bbc.com Retrieved 22 April 2020
  4. ^ Iran's Guards say launched first military satellite into orbit reuters.com Retrieved 22 April 2020
  5. ^ "NOUR 01". N2YO.com. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Dareini, Ali Akbar (7 May 2022). "Into Orbit: Iran's Nour 1 Satellite and the Two-Wing Doctrine". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b @SpaceForceCSO (April 25, 2020). "@US_SpaceCom continues to track 2 objects @PeteAFB's @18SPCS associated w/#space launch from Iran, characterizing NOUR 01(#SATCAT 45529) as 3U Cubesat. Iran states it has imaging capabilities—actually, it's a tumbling webcam in space; unlikely providing intel. #spaceishard" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ^ Borger, Julian (22 April 2020). "Iran reportedly launches first military satellite as Trump makes threats". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  9. ^ Baha, Christian (2023-09-27). "Tehran launches its third military satellite into orbit". baha breaking news. Vienna. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  10. ^ "US assesses Iran successfully launched a military satellite for the first time". CNN. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  11. ^ Macias, Amanda (22 April 2020). "Iran launches first military satellite in latest show of force". CNBC. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Al Jazeera questions Trump on Iran's military satellite launch". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  13. ^ "France condemns Iran's launch of military satellite". Reuters. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Russia said providing Iran advanced spy satellite to surveil military targets". The Times of Israel. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  15. ^ Noor Satellite will change the equations of the region .mashreghnews.ir Retrieved 11 May 2020
  16. ^ "پایگاه هوایی "العدید" با "ماهواره نور" رصد شد/ انتشار تصاویر نور ایرانی برای اولین بار" [Al-Adeed air base was observed with "Noor satellite" / The publication of Iranian light images for the first time]. Fars News Agency (in Persian). 29 July 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  17. ^ @AuroraIntel (July 29, 2020). "Imagery circulating social media (left) claiming to be satellite imagery from #Iran|ian satellite Noor-1 appears to be an edited image from Google Earth (right)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ^ @RedTowelTime (29 July 2020). "Clearly just a doctored photo. You can still see the Google collage marks" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. ^ Maxwell D. Taylo [@TayloMaxwell] (July 29, 2020). "look at this" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Norman, Greg (11 May 2022). "Iranian-made satellite photographs US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain". Fox News. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  21. ^ a b c "Noor 1, 2". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 13 May 2022.

Further reading

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  • "Qased launches Noor satellite". SciNews. 22 April 2020. A Qased launch vehicle launched the Noor satellite from Iran, on 22 April 2020. According to official sources, Qased (قاصد) is a "three-stage, solid-propellant launcher" and the Noor ( نور) satellite was placed in a 425-km orbit.
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