Iran to unveil Rad-1 radar satellite soon, says official

Hassan Salarieh, head of the Iranian Space Agency and deputy minister of information and communications technology, announced on Wednesday that Iran's first domestically built radar satellite, Rad-1, will be unveiled soon. Speaking about the country's space program, Salarieh described Rad-1 as one of Iran's most significant space projects. He noted that the satellite was originally scheduled to be unveiled earlier in 2026, but the timetable was delayed due to technical issues that are common in such projects. Salarieh emphasized that the unveiling of Rad-1 would mark a major milestone for Iran's space industry. He also revealed that development is underway on Rad-2, a more advanced radar satellite with higher imaging accuracy than Rad-1. Salarieh highlighted growing cooperation with the private sector in satellite development, stating that future generations of domestically built micro- and nanosatellites will offer improved imaging capabilities. He added that the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology is also prioritizing the expansion of data- and satellite imagery-based services to enhance efficiency across various sectors of the country. According to Mehr News Agency, the announcement underscores Iran's progress in space technology.