Russia Launches Surveillance Satellite Built for Iran: What We Know

Russia has launched a surveillance satellite built for Iran from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. According to reports from Russian media, the satellite is named Khayyam, as noted by the BBC's Russian service.

This type of satellite studies the surface using various sensors, including optical, infrared, microwave, and radar. They can be utilized for both civilian and military purposes.

Russian media reports that Khayyam was designed and manufactured at Roscosmos enterprises. Before the launch of Khayyam, Iran had two military satellites, Noor-1, which was launched in April 2020 (with no precise information on its status), and Noor-2, which was launched into orbit in March 2022.