&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran to send three satellites into space this year | Gravitas")
Iran is pushing deeper into two arenas that could shape its strategic future space and critical minerals.
Tehran is aiming to put three satellites into orbit in a single launch while simultaneously working with China to develop rare-earth resources vital to modern military technology.
The moves signal an effort to build technological capabilities domestically, especially as tensions with the United States remain unresolved.
Iran's Minister of Information and Communications Technology told Iranian media Tehran plans to launch three satellites from its Martyr Soleimani Constellation before March 2027.
The planned constellation will ultimately contain 24 satellites, 18 operational spacecraft, and six reserves.
The Iranian minister says putting three satellites into orbit together would strengthen Iran's ability to provide stable communications and uninterrupted services.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Iran has in the past relied on its ally Russia to put satellites in orbit, especially in recent years.
In December last year, a Russian rocket launched three Iranian earth-observation satellites from a Russian space launch facility in the Amur Oblast.
Iran is also developing low-earth-orbit satellites for communications and remote sensing while expanding the use of space technology in telecommunications, environmental monitoring, and land-resource management.
Iranian officials increasingly view the space sector as critical national infrastructure, and Tehran is constructing the Chabahar Space Centre in the country's southeast.
But Iran is also looking to strengthen another strategic asset: rare earths.
According to reports in Chinese media, China is sending scientists to Iran for rare earth exploration and processing.
Rare earths are a group of metals essential to many advanced defence systems, including radar, missiles, fighter aircraft, and sophisticated electronics. Iran's geology could offer significant rare earth deposits.
Exploration has reportedly identified rare-earth anomalies across around 7,000 square kilometres of central Iran, including areas associated with iron ore and phosphate formations.
So, together, Iran's space programme and rare-earth ambitions point to a broader strategy developing technologies and resources that can strengthen the country's strategic independence at a time of continuing geopolitical pressure.