Russia’s Space Agency To Launch Iranian Satellite Into Orbit

Russia will launch a satellite on behalf of Iran into space on Aug. 9, the Roscosmos space agency said.

The spacecraft, a remote sensing satellite called “Khayyam”, will be sent into orbit by a Soyuz rocket, Roscosmos said.

“In cooperation with Russia, the Khayyam satellite will be launched next week from the Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan by a Soyuz satellite carrier,” the Iranian space agency said.

The satellite, apparently named after 11th-12th century Persian polymath Omar Khayyam, aims to “monitor the country’s borders,” enhance agricultural productivity and monitor water resources and natural disasters, the agency added.