TEHRAN — In a striking display of technological capability and strategic defiance, Iran’s state-run space program launched the Nahid-2 satellite into orbit on Thursday, July 25, marking a significant advancement in the country’s ambitions for self-reliant communications and aerospace sovereignty.
The satellite, weighing approximately 110 kilograms, was launched aboard a Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia. It was one of 18 payloads deployed alongside Russia’s own space weather monitoring systems. Nahid-2 was successfully inserted into a 500-kilometer low Earth orbit, where it is expected to operate for up to five years, facilitating two-way communications through Ku-band frequency, a first for an Iranian spacecraft.
Developed by Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and constructed domestically, Nahid-2 features indigenous hot-gas propulsion, three-axis attitude control, lithium-ion power systems, thermal insulation, and deployable solar panels. Iranian engineers claim the satellite can adjust its orbital altitude by ±50 kilometers, a feature typically associated with higher-end military and commercial satellites.
This success is particularly noteworthy given Iran’s troubled history with satellite launches. Nahid-1, launched in 2023 aboard Iran’s Qaem-100 rocket, failed to reach orbit and disintegrated during ascent. In contrast, Nahid-2’s seamless deployment via Russia’s advanced launch system represents a course correction and a symbol of deepening Russia-Iran cooperation following their 2025 strategic partnership treaty. The Iranian flag emblazoned on the Soyuz rocket spoke volumes about the geopolitical realignment under way.
Iranian officials were quick to tout the achievement as a major scientific and national milestone, emphasizing its significance in civilian communication infrastructure. However, Western observers remain skeptical, warning that such advances in propulsion and satellite maneuverability have dual-use potential, possibly informing intercontinental ballistic missile technologies—an accusation Iran has consistently rejected.
The satellite’s success also coincides with increasing Western sanctions and isolation efforts, which Iran has countered by investing in indigenous aerospace, defense, and nuclear capabilities, often in collaboration with Russia, China, and allied Global South nations.
According to Mehr News Agency, the Nahid-2 mission reflects a broader strategy by Iran to expand its space infrastructure in defiance of Western restrictions and to establish itself as a technologically autonomous state in the 21st century. Iran’s Minister of ICT, Isa Zarepour, heralded the launch as “a clear manifestation of Iranian technological prowess achieved under pressure.”
According to Iranian officials and state media, the successful deployment of the Nahid-2 satellite is more than a standalone achievement—it represents a foundational step toward a broader and more ambitious space agenda. The mission has laid the groundwork for future, more technically advanced deployments, including the development of geostationary communication satellites that can provide uninterrupted coverage over fixed areas and the launch of dedicated national internet satellites aimed at strengthening Iran’s digital autonomy.
These forthcoming projects are integral components of Tehran’s strategic digital independence roadmap, a long-term policy designed to reduce reliance on foreign communication infrastructure and to insulate the country’s digital networks from external surveillance and sanctions. Iranian engineers believe that the experience gained from Nahid-2—particularly in propulsion, orbital control, and two-way telecommunications—will directly inform the design and execution of these next-generation platforms.
The Nahid-2 satellite is a “critical bridge” between Iran’s current low Earth orbit operations and its aspirations for more complex space architecture, including the long-envisioned goal of launching Iranian-built platforms into geostationary orbit, a domain traditionally dominated by global powers.
According to the Tehran Times, the successful launch of Iran’s domestically built Nahid‑2 satellite—carried into orbit aboard a Russian Soyuz vehicle on July 25, 2025—represents a watershed moment in Iran’s space capabilities. The satellite’s telemetry confirmed it stabilized at an altitude of approximately 500 kilometers and has begun functioning nominally, with an operational lifespan expected to reach five years. The mission highlighted Iran’s insistence on technological self-sufficiency, featuring home-grown hot-gas thrusters, indigenous lithium-ion batteries, thermal adhesives and polymer coatings for orbital durability, and robust attitude control and communications subsystems.
