Speaking at a ceremony marking National Space Technology Day at the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, Communications Minister Seyed Sattar Hashemi said the country had reached a “historic” milestone in satellite communications, alongside progress in Earth-observation systems.

In the technical domain, Hashemi said Iran has moved from development to technology stabilization in remote-sensing satellites, citing the quality of images received from domestically built satellites, including newer platforms such as Kowsar and Paya.

He said Earth-observation data play a critical role in land management, cadastral mapping, monitoring water resources and preventing illegal encroachment on national lands, adding that such applications depend on continuous and accurate satellite monitoring.

Turning to communications satellites, Hashemi said Iran has for the first time mastered Ku-band technology, describing it as a major step in space-based telecommunications.

He said the achievement was realized through the Nahid communications satellite project, led by the Iranian Space Research Center with the participation of more than 30 knowledge-based companies.

On rural connectivity, Hashemi said Iran is legally required under its seventh development plan to connect all villages with more than 20 households to quality communications networks.

He said about 80% of such villages are already covered, but the remaining 20% are located in hard-to-reach areas where terrestrial infrastructure such as fibre-optic cables and transmission towers is difficult or impossible to deploy.

As a result, he said satellite-based communications are the only viable solution for extending coverage to these areas, creating a domestic market for communications satellites and justifying increased government investment.

Outlining future priorities, Hashemi said the government is shifting its approach from a purely strategic view of space to an economic and commercial one, focusing on a “space-based economy” in both Earth-observation and communications sectors.

He identified two parallel technical paths as essential: developing low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations and securing long-term capabilities in geostationary orbit.

Explaining the limitation of existing satellites, Hashemi said current platforms orbit the Earth roughly every 90 to 120 minutes and spend limited time over the country, making real-time imaging and continuous connectivity impossible without constellations.

He said constellation development is no longer optional but a technical necessity for real-time monitoring and stable communications.

On technology acquisition, Hashemi said Iran is pursuing a dual strategy combining domestic research by universities and knowledge-based firms with international cooperation and technology partnerships with friendly countries.

Looking ahead, he said newer versions of the Pars satellite series are expected to be deployed next year, with a focus on significantly improving image resolution and accuracy through cooperation between the defense ministry, the space research centre and private firms.