The Saman-1 ( fa, سامان-۱) is a

space tug ''Space Tug'' is a young adult science fiction novel by author Murray Leinster. It was published in 1953 by Shasta Publishers in an edition of 5,000 copies. It is the second novel in the author's Joe Kenmore series. Groff Conklin gave it a mixe ...

in development by the Iranian Space Research Center to be used to transfer satellites from a 400 km orbit to higher orbits. The system was unveiled on February 1, 2017, by

Iranian president The president of Iran ( fa, رئیس‌جمهور ایران, Rayis Jomhur-e Irān) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The president is the second highest-ranking official of Iran after the Supreme Leader. The president ...

Hassan Rouhani Hassan Rouhani ( fa, حسن روحانی, Standard Persian pronunciation: ; born Hassan Fereydoun ( fa, حسن فریدون, links=no); 12 November 1948) is an Iranian politician who served as the seventh president of Iran from 2013 to 2021. ...

in a ceremony marking the Iranian national space technology day. It could be used as a third stage/ kick-motor on the

Simorgh Simurgh (; fa, سیمرغ, also spelled ''simorgh, simorg'', ''simurg'', ''simoorg, simorq'' or ''simourv'') is a benevolent, mythical bird in Persian mythology and literature. It is sometimes equated with other mythological birds such as the ...

launch vehicle A launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket designed to carry a payload (spacecraft or satellites) from the Earth's surface to outer space. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, launch pads, supported by a missile launch contro ...

. Although very little information has been publicly revealed about the Qased launch vehicle's solid fueled third stage, analysts have concluded that it may uses the Saman-1 as its third stage or something similar.

Design

The saman-1 utilizes an Arash-24 solid fuel motor as its main propulsion unit, producing 1.3 tons of thrust with a burn time of 40 seconds and a total mass of 240 kg fully fueled and 55 kg when empty. Saman-1 is capable of transferring satellites from a 400 km orbit to a 7,000 km orbit. For its first mission it will be tasked with lifting a 100 kilogram satellite from a 400 kilometer circular

parking orbit A parking orbit is a temporary orbit used during the launch of a spacecraft. A launch vehicle boosts into the parking orbit, then coasts for a while, then fires again to enter the final desired trajectory. The alternative to a parking orbit is ''di ...

to an

elliptical orbit In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics, an elliptic orbit or elliptical orbit is a Kepler orbit with an eccentricity of less than 1; this includes the special case of a circular orbit, with eccentricity equal to 0. In a stricter sense, it ...

with an

apogee An apsis (; ) is the farthest or nearest point in the orbit of a planetary body about its primary body. For example, the apsides of the Earth are called the aphelion and perihelion. General description There are two apsides in any ellip ...

of 700 kilometers and a

perigee An apsis (; ) is the farthest or nearest point in the orbit of a planetary body about its primary body. For example, the apsides of the Earth are called the aphelion and perihelion. General description There are two apsides in any ellip ...

of 400 kilometers. After the first and second stage burn are done the launch vehicle releases the payload and the Saman-1 third stage into a

, then the Saman-1 becomes responsible for stabilization and elimination of vibrations after release and finally the accurate injection of its payload into its target orbit. Several new sub-systems were designed and manufactured for the Saman-1, these include: a complete and independent navigation and control system, a

solid-fueled 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 ...

propulsion system (made out of titanium to reduce weight), cold gas thrusters, a power system, and a flight computer.

Future versions

Saman-2 will be able to transfer satellites from a 400 km orbit ( LEO) to a 10,000 km orbit; Saman-3 up to 21,000 km; Saman-4 up to 36,000 km (

geostationary A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitude ...

and

geosynchronous orbit A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbital ...

s).

History

Saman-1 development began in 2015. The first prototype was unveiled on February 1, 2017, by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

. The second prototype was being tested in December 2018. In December 2019, the first sample of the Arash motor was tested successfully in vacuum conditions. A suborbital test flight of Saman-1 occurred in June 2021 and was reported to be successful. A second successful suborbital test took place on 3 October 2022. Operational test flight of the system is planned for 2022–2023.

Gallery

File:Saman-1.jpg, Saman-1 on display at an exhibition

References

{{reflist Rocket stages Solid-fuel rockets

Design

Future versions

History

Gallery

See also

References