Russia signed contract to build and launch spy satellite for Iran

ICT min.:Deal on remote sensing satellite signed by Russia
News ID: 3784731 – Sun 2 October 2016 – 11:01
http://en.mehrnews.com/news/120200/Deal-on-remote-sensing-satellite-signed-by-Russia

TEHRAN, Oct. 02 (MNA) – ICT minister Mahmoud Vaezi said the final
agreement for the construction and launch of the National Remote Sensing
Satellite has been signed by the Russian satellite manufacturers.

Iranian Communications and Information Technology Minister, Mahmoud Vaezi,
told Mehr News Agency that the country is working on its space projects on
two parallel lines, one of which is related to the construction of student
satellites inside the country; “we have held talks with universities for the
construction of communications as well as remote sensing satellites in Iran,
and a number of samples have already been constructed,” he said.

“By the end of the Iranian year (March 2017), we will be ready to launch one
of these domestically-manufactured student satellites into space,” he added.

Vaezi stressed that the country is mainly focused on the construction of two
operational satellites, adding “at the moment, the final agreement for the
construction and launch of the National Remote Sensing Satellite has been
signed by the Russian satellite manufacturers.”

“The construction of the two operational satellites is a long-term project
and currently, we are in talks with four countries for our communications
satellite,” he said.

“France, Russia, China and South Korea have expressed their interest in
participating in the project,” Vaezi said. “We will come to a final decision
with one of these four countries and execute the construction of National
Communications Satellite Project as one of the objectives of the Sixth
Development Plan.”

In his recent visit to Moscow, Mahmoud Vaezi met with several Russian
government officials and industry executives on space and cyberspace issues,
and struck a deal with the Russian side on cooperation with the construction
of a remote sensing satellite.

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