Iranian crewed spacecraft

Lore & Background

Iran expressed for the first time its intention to send a human to space during the summit of Soviet and Iranian Presidents in 1990. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev reached an agreement in principle with erstwhile President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to make joint Soviet-Iranian crewed flights to Mir space station, but the agreement was never realized after the dissolution of the USSR. The Iranian News Agency claimed on 21 November 2005 that Iran has a human space program along with plans for a spacecraft and space laboratory. Iran Aerospace Industries Organization head Reza Taghipour on 20 August 2008 revealed Iran intends to launch a human mission within a decade, described as the country's top priority to become the leading space power of the region by 2021. In August 2010, President Ahmadinejad announced that Iran's first astronaut should be sent into space on board an Iranian spacecraft by no later than 2019.

Reader's Guide

The Iranian crewed spacecraft represents a long-standing national ambition to achieve human spaceflight, first articulated in 1990 and repeatedly reaffirmed through official announcements and public ceremonies. Despite unveiling a mock-up in February 2015 and conducting a sub-orbital test flight with a monkey in 2016, the program was put on hold indefinitely in 2017. The spacecraft, designated 'Class E Kavoshgar,' was designed to carry a single astronaut to 175 km altitude and return, comparable to early American Mercury and Soviet Vostok spacecraft. Iran's lack of a medium-lift rocket similar to Long March 2F or GSLV Mk III has made development of a full-scale spacecraft unlikely. In December 2023, Iran launched live animals in a capsule on a new rocket called 'Salman,' part of a revived 10-year program aiming for an indigenous crewed mission by 2029. However, in March 2026, all ISRC facilities were attacked and destroyed by Israel during the 2026 Iran war, effectively ending the program. The project's significance lies in its demonstration of Iran's persistent pursuit of space prestige, despite technical and geopolitical obstacles.

Did You Know?

• Iran first expressed its intention to send a human to space during a 1990 summit between Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
• A mock-up of the spacecraft was displayed on 17 February 2015 during Iran's national day of space ceremony, with the president and several ministers present.
• A sub-orbital test flight with a monkey was conducted in 2016.
• In March 2026, all ISRC facilities were attacked and destroyed by Israel during the 2026 Iran war.