The Qased (also Ghased, fa, قاصد , , messenger ) rocket is an Iranian

expendable ''Expendable'' is a science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technolog ...

small-lift

orbital Orbital may refer to: Sciences Chemistry and physics * Atomic orbital * Molecular orbital * Hybrid orbital Astronomy and space flight * Orbit ** Earth orbit Medicine and physiology * Orbit (anatomy), also known as the ''orbital bone'' * Orbito ...

space launch vehicle. It made its maiden flight in 2020, lofting Iran's first military satellite named Noor ( fa, نور , , light) into orbit.

Design

Qased's first stage is propelled by a Ghadr medium range ballistic missile with a diameter of , burning

UDMH Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH; 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, НДМГ or codenamed Geptil) is a chemical compound with the formula H2NN(CH3)2 that is used as a rocket propellant. It is a colorless liquid, with a sharp, fishy, ammonia-like smell ...

and N₂O₄ for 103 seconds and an approximate thrust of , although Qased's application of the proven Ghadr as its first stage is limited to the first launches and subsequent launches are to utilize a solid fueled first stage. The diameter second stage is the solid fueled

Salman Salman may refer to: People * Salman (name), people with the name Places in Iran * Salman, Khuzestan, a village in Khuzestan Province * Salman, alternate name of Deh-e Salman, Lorestan, a village in Lorestan Province * Salman, Razavi Khorasan, a ...

with a lightweight carbon fiber composite casing, a flexible noozle with

thrust vectoring Thrust vectoring, also known as thrust vector control (TVC), is the ability of an aircraft, rocket, or other vehicle to manipulate the direction of the thrust from its engine(s) or motor(s) to control the attitude or angular velocity of the ...

capability, and a burn time of 60 seconds. The third stage was erroneously believed to be a Saman-1 upper stage with an Arash-24

solid fuel Solid fuel refers to various forms of solid material that can be burnt to release energy, providing heat and light through the process of combustion. Solid fuels can be contrasted with liquid fuels and gaseous fuels. Common examples of solid fuel ...

motor with a burn time of 40 seconds. Later publicly revealed images revealed it was a specific system developed by the IRGC.

Strategic implications

The launcher is notable as it is operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace force rather than the

Iranian Space Agency The Iranian Space Agency (ISA, Persian: ''Sāzmān-e Fazāi-ye Irān'') is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009. Iran is one of the 24 founding members of the United Nations Committee on t ...

and is small enough to be launched from a

transporter erector launcher A transporter erector launcher (TEL) is a missile vehicle with an integrated tractor unit that can carry, elevate to firing position and launch one or more missiles. History Such vehicles exist for both surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-s ...

. The launch unveiled a full-blown parallel military space program separate from the

ISA Isa or ISA may refer to: Places * Isa, Amur Oblast, Russia * Isa, Kagoshima, Japan * Isa, Nigeria * Isa District, Kagoshima, former district in Japan * Isa Town, middle class town located in Bahrain * Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia * Mount Is ...

, with separate development paths and solid fueled launch vehicles, as opposed to the

's liquid fueled rockets. In terms of the Noor satellite itself, the launch does not fundamentally change the security equations in the Middle East, however the unveiling of the

IRGC The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...

space program and its emphasis towards solid fueled launch vehicles (which are more military viable than Iran's previous liquid fueled launchers like the Simorgh) might indicate Iran's hedging strategy to acquire ICBM technology without the security repercussions of openly attempting to do so.

Launch history

Gallery

File:Qased SLV first launch 01-cropped.jpg, Qased during preparations on the launch pad File:Qased SLV first launch 07.jpg, Qased lifting off

External links

* * First launch video -

References