Russia sends 3 Iranian satellites into orbit, report says : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x2669+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F77%2Fe4%2F3a27d5754e7192426c29126fe938%2Fap25206479646201.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x2669+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F77%2Fe4%2F3a27d5754e7192426c29126fe938%2Fap25206479646201.jpg" class="img" alt="In this photo released by Roscosmos State Space Corporate on Friday, July 25, 2025, a Soyuz rocket lifts off from a launch site in Vostochny in far eastern Russia carrying an Iranian satellite along with Russian satellites into orbit." fetchpriority="high"/> On this photograph launched by Roscosmos State House Company on Friday, July 25, 2025, a Soyuz rocket lifts off from a launch website in Vostochny in far jap Russia carrying an Iranian satellite tv for pc together with Russian satellites into orbit. Ivan Timoshenko/Roscosmos State House Company by way of AP disguise caption

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Ivan Timoshenko/Roscosmos State House Company by way of AP TEHRAN, Iran — Russia on Sunday despatched three Iranian communications satellites into orbit, the second such launch since July, Iranian state tv reported.

The report mentioned {that a} Russian rocket despatched the satellites to circle the Earth on a 500-kilometer (310-mile) orbit from the Vostochny launchpad in jap Russia. The three satellites are dubbed Paya, Kowsar and Zafar-2.

The report mentioned that Paya, weighing 150 kilograms (330 kilos), is the heaviest satellite tv for pc that Iran has ever deployed into orbit. Kowsar weighs 35 kilograms (77 kilos), however the report did not specify how heavy Zafar-2 is.

The satellites characteristic as much as 3-meter decision photos, relevant within the administration of water assets, agriculture and the setting. Their life span is as much as 5 years.

Russia often sends Iran's satellites into orbit, highlighting the sturdy ties between the 2 nations. In July, a Russian rocket despatched Iranian communications satellite tv for pc Nahid-2 into orbit.

Russia, which signed a "strategic partnership" treaty with Iran in January, strongly condemned the Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran that got here throughout a 12-day air warfare in June and killed almost 1,100 Iranians, together with army commanders and nuclear scientists. Retaliatory missile barrages by Iran killed 28 individuals in Israel.

As a long-standing venture, Iran from time-to-time launches satellite tv for pc carriers to ship its satellites into house.

The USA has mentioned that Iran's satellite tv for pc launches defy a U.N. Safety Council decision and known as on Tehran to undertake no exercise involving ballistic missiles able to delivering nuclear weapons. U.N. sanctions associated to Iran's ballistic missile program expired in 2023.