Simorgh (rocket) explained

Simorgh
Diameter: first stage, second stage
Stages:2
Capacities:
Location:LEO 200 km
Mass:[1]
Location:LEO 500 km
Mass:[2]
Family:Derived from Safir
Function:Small-lift space launch vehicle
Sites:Imam Khomeini Space Launch Terminal
Status:Active
First:19 April 2016 (suborbital)
27 July 2017 (orbital)
Launches:5 or 6 (+1 suborbital)
Success:1 (+1 suborbital)
Fail:4 or 5
Stagedata:
Type:stage
Stageno:First
Engines:4 × Shahab-5[3] + 4 verniers
Burntime:120 seconds
Length:17.8 m
Diameter:2.4 m
Type:stage
Stageno:Second
Burntime:320 seconds
Diameter:1.5 m
Type:stage
Stageno:Third
Diff:Optional
Burntime:40 seconds

Simorgh (Persian: ماهواره‌بر سیمرغ, Phoenix), also called Safir-2, is an Iranian expendable launch vehicle under development.[4] [5] It is the successor of the Safir, Iran's first space launch vehicle.[6] Its mission is to carry heavier satellites into higher orbit than Safir.[7]

The project was unveiled by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on 3 February 2010, as part of celebrations of the first anniversary of the launch of Omid, the first indigenously launched Iranian satellite,[8] and was launched for the first time on 19 April 2016.[9]

Design

Simorgh is a two-stage liquid-fueled rocket developed from the Safir rocket. It is able to place a 250kg (550lb) payload into a circular 500km (300miles) low Earth orbit (LEO). It is also the first Iranian rocket that can place multiple payloads into orbit (e.g., one main payload and several secondary cubesats). In comparison, the Safir was only able to place a 50 kg payload into a 250x375 km elliptic orbit.[10] [11]

The Simorgh rocket is 26.5m (86.9feet) long, and has a launch mass of 87t. Its first stage with a diameter of 2.4 meters is powered by a cluster of four synchronized Safir-1B first-stage engines with four separate turbopumps, each of these engines generating up to 37000kgf of thrust. The first stage also utilize a set of four vernier engines sharing a single turbopump used for attitude control and providing an additional . At liftoff, these engines generate a total of thrust.[12] [13] The second stage with a diameter of 1.5 meters utilizes a set of four smaller engines similar to the two engines of Safir's second stage. These produce a total of thrust.[14]

The Simorgh's total flight time to a 500-530km orbit is between 480 and 495 seconds. The first stage burns for about 102 seconds.[15] Stages separation takes place at an altitude of 90 km and a velocity of 2300 m/s. The fairing shroud is ejected simultaneously to the second stage engines ignition. The satellite is then accelerated to 7400 m/s and injected into its designated orbit.

In contrast to its predecessor Safir, the Simorgh is integrated and assembled vertically on a launch pad located at the Imam Khomeini Space Center. Each stage goes through manufacturing horizontally and is subsequently brought to the launch pad, where final assembly of the stages are completed with the aid of a custom designed service tower.

Saman-1 is a solid-fueled orbital transfer system under development that produces of thrust and will be used as an additional upper stage in future.[16]

Reliability

The development of the Simorgh has been marked with difficulties and unreliability of certain sub-systems due to the overcomplexity of its engines and turbopumps. Out of the system's first four launches (two orbital and two sub-orbital launches) there have been three failures, giving the rocket a reliability rating of twenty five percent. There were however, indications of progressive improvements to the design and reliability of the system with each successive launch; with the 2017 launch operating for 120 seconds before failure, the 2019 launch operating 450 seconds before failure, and the 2020 launch operating correctly for 475 seconds out of the 490 seconds of operation required for a successful mission, giving the missions a 25, 92, and 97 percent success rate respectively, indicating a trend of increasing reliability in the design.[17] [18]

Launch history

Flight No.Date & Time (UTC)ConfigurationLaunch Site PayloadPayload MassOrbitOutcomeRemarks
119 April 2016SimorghSemnan LP-2No payloadN/ASub-orbitalSuccessSub-orbital test flight.
227 July 2017Simorgh / Saman-1[19] Semnan LP-2No payload100 kg[20] LEOFailureOrbital test flight. Simorgh operated for 136 seconds. Second stage failed.[21]
315 January 2019Simorgh / Saman-1Semnan LP-2Payam (named "AUT-SAT" previously)90 kg[22] LEOFailureOrbital test flight. Simorgh operated for 455 seconds. Third stage failed.[23]
49 February 2020, 15:45SimorghSemnan LP-2Zafar-1[24] 113 kg[25] LEOFailureOrbital test flight.[26] Simorgh operated for 475 seconds. Satellite reached speed of 6,500 m/s out of the 7,400 m/s required to orbit. First stage operated fully correctly.[27] Second stage failed.
12 June 2021Semnan LP-2UnknownLEODisputed launch existenceU.S. official stated "is aware of an Iranian rocket launch failure". Satellite imagery "looked like a launch" occurred. Iran's Telecommunications Minister denied any launch.[28]
630 December 2021TBASemnan LP-2Three research devices[29] TBALEOFailureOrbital test flight.First time Iran launched multiple payloads in the same launch.Simorgh operated for about 600 seconds (500 seconds for the second stage). Devices didn't enter orbit; reached an altitude of 470 km and a speed of 7,350 m/s, out of the 7,600 m/s required.[30]
728 January 2024SimorghSemnan LP-2Mahda, Keyhan-2 and Hatef-1TBALEOSuccessFirst successful orbital launch of Simorgh, placed three satellites into a 1100 x 450 km orbit. The launch occurred just 8 days after the first successful orbital launch of Qaem 100.

See also

Other Iranian satellite launch vehicles

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-06-05 . برنامه ثریا ۱۵ خرداد ۱۴۰۱ . 2022-06-25 . telewebion.com . fa.
  2. Web site: 2017-07-28 . Iran launches Simorgh satellite carrier from Imam Khomeini Space Center . 2024-01-28 . Mehr News Agency . en.
  3. Web site: Simorgh (Safir-2) . 2024-01-28 . Gunter's Space Page . en.
  4. Web site: Iran fails in satellite launch attempt – Spaceflight Now.
  5. News: 2010-02-03. Iran brags it launched rocket into space... with mouse, turtles & worms. New York Daily News. 2010-02-03.
  6. Web site: 2020-01-28. "سفیر" رسما بازنشسته شد تا "سیمرغ" مهیای سفر فضایی شود/ طلسم استفاده ماهواره‌بر ایرانی از سوخت جامد با سریر و سروش می‌شکند؟ +عکس. 2021-12-30. مشرق نیوز. fa.
  7. Web site: YJC . خبرگزاری باشگاه خبرنگاران آخرین اخبار ایران و جهان . 2021-12-31 . پرواز دوباره سیمرغ/ ماهواره‌بر سیمرغ چه ویژگی‌هایی دارد؟ . 2022-03-27 . fa.
  8. News: Iran Announces New Rockets, Satellites on Space Day. Elizabeth . Arrott. VOA News. 2010-02-03. 2010-02-03.
  9. Web site: 24 April 2016 . Simorgh First Launch - an Iranian Success or Failure? .
  10. Web site: 2020-03-22 . ماهواره‌بر "سیمرغ" چگونه متولد شد؟ +عکس . 2021-06-26 . مشرق نیوز . fa.
  11. Web site: Entekhab.ir . پایگاه خبری تحلیلی انتخاب . December 30, 2021 . برای نخستین بار، سه محموله تحقیقاتی توسط ماهواره‌بر سیمرغ با موفقیت به ارتفاع ۴۷۰ کیلومتری پرتاب شد . 2022-06-29 . fa . fa.
  12. Web site: 2010-02-03. Iranian DM: Simorgh to Carry Tolou, Mesbah Satellites into Space. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111113072413/http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8811141592. 2011-11-13. 2010-02-03. Fars News Agency.
  13. Web site: 2017-08-16. موشک های ماهواره بر ایران. 2021-04-15. جنگاوران. fa-IR.
  14. Web site: Safir-2 (Simorgh) IRILV. 2021-04-15. www.b14643.de.
  15. Web site: تحقق ۹۰ درصد اهداف تحقیقاتی در پرتاب ماهواره "ظفر" . 2022-03-16 . defapress.ir.
  16. Web site: 2021-06-27 . انجام اولین آزمون زیرمداری سامانه انتقال مداری/آزمون زیرمداری دوم در برنامه بعدی پژوهشگاه فضایی . 2022-06-29 . ایسنا . fa.
  17. Web site: Egozi. Arie. 2020-06-29. New Iranian Missile Could Strike Central Europe: Analysis. 2021-06-26. Breaking Defense. en-US.
  18. Web site: Berger. Eric. 2021-06-25. Rocket Report: China to copy SpaceX's Super Heavy? Vulcan slips to 2022. 2021-06-27. Ars Technica. en-us.
  19. Web site: Simorgh Saman-1 kick-stage . 2024-06-02 . www.b14643.de.
  20. Web site: Toloo 1, 2 . 2024-06-02 . Gunter's Space Page . en.
  21. Web site: Krebs . Gunter . Simorgh (Safir-2) . 15 January 2019 . Gunter's Space Page.
  22. Web site: Payam-e Amirkabir (AUTSAT 1, Amir-Kabir 1) . 2024-06-02 . Gunter's Space Page . en.
  23. News: Tawfeeq . Mohammed . Qiblawi . Tamara . 15 January 2019 . Despite US warning, Iran launches satellite and fails . 15 January 2019 . CNN.
  24. https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/02/10/iran-fails-in-satellite-launch-attempt/ - 11 February 2020
  25. Web site: Zafar 1, 2 . 2024-06-02 . Gunter's Space Page . en.
  26. Web site: 2020-02-12 . بیش از ۹۵ درصد از اهداف طراحی شده برای پرتاب ماهواره ظفر محقق شد . 2022-03-16 . خبرگزاری مهر اخبار ایران و جهان Mehr News Agency . fa.
  27. News: Iranian Satellite Launched But Fails To Reach Earth's Orbit . 2020-02-09 . RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty . en.
  28. Web site: 2021-06-23 . Iran likely had failed rocket launch, preparing for another . 2021-12-30 . AP NEWS . en.
  29. Web site: Iran launches rocket into space as nuclear talks continue . 2021-12-30 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
  30. Web site: 2021-12-30 . "Simorgh" satellite carrier successfully launched into space . 2021-12-30 . Mehr News Agency . en.