RASAD 1

RASAD 1 is no longer on orbit
RASAD 1 is classified as:

Space & Earth Science

NORAD ID: 37675

Int'l Code: 2011-025A

Launch date: June 15, 2011
Source: Iran (IRAN)
Launch site: Semnan, Iran (SEM)
Decay date: 2011-07-06

Rasad, which means observation, will take images of Earth and transmit them to ground stations, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. The satellite weighed about 33.7 pounds (15 kg) when it blasted off on a Safir rocket, the state-run IRNA reported. Iran says it will use the satellite to monitor the environment, but it could be a testbed for future military reconnaissance payloads. The country plans more advanced satellites for launch in the coming months and years, including a craft named Fajr featuring a more capable Earth observation camera. The Rasad satellite is circling Earth in an elliptical orbit with altitudes ranging between 150 miles (240 km) and 180 miles (290 km). The orbit's inclination angle is 55.7 degrees, according to U.S. military tracking data.