Sina-1
Sina-1 (Persian: سینا ۱) is the first Iranian artificial satellite, launched at 6:52 UTC October 28, 2005 on board a Cosmos-3M Russian launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The rocket was also carrying a Russian military Mozhayets-5 satellite, a Chinese China-DMC, a British TopSat, a European Space Agency SSETI Express (Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative-Express), a Norwegian nCube, a German UWE-1, and a Japanese XI-V. Sina-1's Satellite Catalog Number or USSPACECOM object number is 28893.
| Mission type | Reconnaissance |
|---|---|
| Operator | ISA |
| COSPAR ID | 2005-043D |
| SATCAT no. | 28893 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Production Corporation Polyot |
| Launch mass | 170 kg |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 27 October 2005, 06:52:26 UTC |
| Rocket | Kosmos-3M |
| Launch site | Plesetsk, Site 132/1 |
| Contractor | Yuzhnoye |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 682 km |
| Apogee altitude | 704 km |
| Inclination | 98.18° |
| Period | 98.62 minutes |
| Epoch | 3 November 2005 |
In 2003, then-Defense Minister Admiral Ali Shamkhani announced that Iran would launch its first satellite on a locally produced launch vehicle within eighteen months. The plan was to develop a booster based on the Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile.
When difficulties arose with indigenous booster development, the Iranian Institute of Applied Research turned to the Omsk-based Russian company Polyot. Polyot provided the launch services aboard the Kosmos-3M rocket and also built the satellite itself. The cost of the satellite was US$15 million.