Iran completes third orbital launch in 2024
According to Iran’s state-run press and now confirmed by independent sources, Iran yesterday completed its third orbital launch in 2024, its new solid-fueled three stage Qaem-100 rocket lifting off on its second launch from Iran’s interior Semnan spaceport. No word on where the rocket’s lower stages crashed.
The payload was an engineering test satellite, which according to the Iranian press is operating as planned.
At the moment Iran appears to aggressively accelerating its civilian space program. It now has two functioning rockets, the Simorgh rocket, which placed three satellites in orbit in January, and the Qaem-100, its first launch taking place also in January. The country is also building a coastal spaceport near the town of Chabahar, as shown on the map to the right. Moreover, this third launch is the most the country has ever achieved in a single year. Until 2024, Iran had never launched more than once in any year.
And while these rockets and satellites do not appear to be military in nature, the technology development will certainly result in advances in Iran’s missile capabilities. The Qaem-100’s solid-fueled design is exactly what most ballistic missiles use, since it allows the missile to be stored fueled for long periods.
The leader board in the 2024 launch race remains unchanged.
91 SpaceX
38 China
10 Rocket Lab
10 Russia
American private enterprise still leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 106 to 59, while SpaceX by itself leads the entire world, including American companies, 91 to 74.
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According to Iran’s state-run press and now confirmed by independent sources, Iran yesterday completed its third orbital launch in 2024, its new solid-fueled three stage Qaem-100 rocket lifting off on its second launch from Iran’s interior Semnan spaceport. No word on where the rocket’s lower stages crashed.
The payload was an engineering test satellite, which according to the Iranian press is operating as planned.
At the moment Iran appears to aggressively accelerating its civilian space program. It now has two functioning rockets, the Simorgh rocket, which placed three satellites in orbit in January, and the Qaem-100, its first launch taking place also in January. The country is also building a coastal spaceport near the town of Chabahar, as shown on the map to the right. Moreover, this third launch is the most the country has ever achieved in a single year. Until 2024, Iran had never launched more than once in any year.
And while these rockets and satellites do not appear to be military in nature, the technology development will certainly result in advances in Iran’s missile capabilities. The Qaem-100’s solid-fueled design is exactly what most ballistic missiles use, since it allows the missile to be stored fueled for long periods.
The leader board in the 2024 launch race remains unchanged.
91 SpaceX
38 China
10 Rocket Lab
10 Russia
American private enterprise still leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 106 to 59, while SpaceX by itself leads the entire world, including American companies, 91 to 74.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Another country like North Korea, essentially broke, spending money on rockets primarily at the behest of their sponsors.
Iran was broke while Trump was in office, but Biden has restored their exchequer as did Obama before him. Not only does Iran now have funds to pay Hamas and Hezbollah, it seems there is enough in the piggy bank to do some serious messing about with orbital-class rocketry. Certainly no good will come of this, but that is true of everything Iran has done since the late Shah was chased out. A Democrat President had a sizable hand in that fiasco too and its subsequent White House occupants have missed no opportunities to double-down ever since.
Iran gaining rocket tech is not a problem for me personally. Unless I am hit by a nuke from them and then well………
The ones who need to worry are the other Muslim nations to the east of them.
At this moment Iran is shifting their own agents into all those nations with wads of cash just to change the political views of the people.Can the government of Yemen stand a year of riots and terrorist attacks. After a year of riots one terrorist bomb could take out the governments leadership and a new head of state could rise supported by Iran.
Would Saudi Arabia stand up and oppose them taking over Yemen? Would they send in troops and start a multi national war?(they need to do it without American troops) Or will America be the one to step in?(something I do not want)
I’ve often wondered where inland launches drop their stages. It occurs to me a profile like Vandenberg might be the answer. They drop the first stage in the Caspian, and the second stage somewhere over the Arctic. First orbit starts right over North America.
No pattern there.
“Nothing to see here. You can all go home now.” [the Naked Gun, (C)1988]
Space launch actually isn’t that expensive—if it is a simple LV and payload.
Neither Iran nor the DPRK could afford F-35, yet their ballistic payloads fly much higher and faster than F-35–or ANY aircraft (even the rumored SR-72).
So, someone explain to me why Space Force budgets are a fraction of the USAF?
Time for the blue suits to take a haircut.
So, someone explain to me why Space Force budgets are a fraction of the USAF?
Well, the USSF budget has doubled since 2021, so it’s not like it’s not growing well beyond the pace of inflation…
I suspect it will grow a lot more over the balance of this decade.
Iran has plenty of money for important things, like enriching uranium. It’s ok the UN and world don’t care. ICBMs are just the cherry on top of the terror.
Robert, this nap has erased Israel, for want of a better word. Not shown any city, at any rate. (Unlike every other country shown. Egypt is cut off before Cairo, which is pretty slick. ) I will say, I am disappointed.
Big Paloota: The map did not erase Israel, at least it didn’t at higher resolutions and zoomed in. At the scale I picked some of the border lines vanished.
Thank you Robert. I am somewhat hypervigilant on this subject.