Fajr (satellite)

Fajr (Persian: فجر‎, meaning "dawn") is an Iranian satellite which was launched on 2 February 2015.[2] Fajr had a mass of 52 kg and was equipped with an optical imaging payload which would have reached a ground resolution of about 500 metres (1,600 ft).[3]

Fajr

Mission type	Optical imaging Technology
Operator	ISA
COSPAR ID	2015-006A
SATCAT no.	40387
Mission duration	24 days 1.5 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass	52 kg
Start of mission
Launch date	2 February 2015, 08:50:00 UTC
Rocket	Safir-1B
Launch site	Semnan city
End of mission
Decay date	26 February 2015
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric [1]
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	224 km
Apogee altitude	470 km
Inclination	55.53°
Period	91.5 minutes
Epoch	2 February 2015

It is the first Iranian satellite to use a cold-gas thruster system, to conduct orbital maneuvers and increase its service life by raising its orbit to prevent a fast decay. An experimental GPS system developed by Iran is also part of the spacecraft. The Fajr satellite is expected to operate for 1.5 years.[3] The satellite body is a 6-sided prism with a height of 49 centimetres (19 in) and a width of 35 centimetres (14 in).[1]

Fajr was launched by a Safir-1B rocket from the Iranian Space Agency's launch site in Semnan city. The launch took place at around 08:50:00 UTC on 2 February 2015, Iran's national day of space and the sixth anniversary of the country's first successful orbital launch. The satellite was deployed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 224 km, an apogee of 470 km, an inclination of 55.53°, and an orbital period of 91.5 minutes. Fajr reentered in the Earth's atmosphere on 26 February 2015 after 23.8 days in orbit. Apparently, it performed no maneuvers during its orbital lifetime.[1]

References

1. Krebs, Gunter. "Fajr". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
2. Stephen Clark (2 February 2015). "Iranian satellite successfully placed in orbit". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
3. "Fajr: Display 2015-006A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.