Iran has successfully launched its domestically-manufactured Simorgh carrier, whose mission is to put Iranian satellites into the orbit.

According to Tasnim news agency, the launch was carried out by Imam Khomeini Space Center.

The report added that Simorgh satellite carrier is able to put satellites weighing as much as 250 kilograms at an orbit about 500 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

The report said Imam Khomeini Space Center is responsible for all operations related to satellite carriers, including preparation, launch, control and steering.

Iran's Imam Khomeini Space Center conforms to the latest international standards and after final phase of its development, the base will be able to meet all the country's needs at Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The launch signals official inauguration of Imam Khomeini Space Center.

In December last year, Iran's minister of information and communications technology said the country was planning to send a new domestically-manufactured satellite into space by the past Iranian calendar year (ending on March 20, 2017).

Mahmoud Vaezi added that Iran planned to send two more satellites into space by the end of the next Iranian calendar year (which ends on March 20, 2018).

The three satellites have been manufactured by young Iranian experts in research centers at the country's universities, the minister said.

He also noted that Iran was about to sign a contract with a Russian company on the manufacture of a remote-sensing satellite.

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Iran to launch 3 satellites into space

Vaezi's remarks came after head of the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) Mohsen Bahrami said in October 2016 that the country was planning to send three home-made satellites into space.

Speaking to reporters on the occasion of World Space Week, Bahrami said Sharif Sat would be put into orbit by the end of the last Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2017).

He added that Amirkabir and Nahid I satellites would be put into space during the next Iranian calendar year, noting that the preparation process for domestically-manufactured Sadr satellite was also underway.

The ISA chief noted that Sharif Sat was a remote-sensing satellite and Nahid I was a communications satellites.

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Iran to launch more satellites into space

Iran launched its first locally-built satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009. The country also sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in February 2010, using Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) carrier.

Iran also placed the domestically-made Fajr (Dawn) satellite into orbit in February 2015. The satellite is capable of taking and transmitting high-quality and accurate pictures to stations on earth.