Islam Times - Iran's Satellite Expertise Can Aid Iraq in Advancing Space Endeavors

Islam Times - Iraq could look for essential assistance from Iran's advanced satellite capabilities to manage dust storms and promote its decade-long aim to enter the space business, perhaps marking a collaborative leap in regional space exploration.

Iraq can benefit greatly from accurate and up-to-date satellite imagery from Iran, especially considering the country's struggles with dust storms. Iraq might gain access to Iran's space facilities in the future if the nation chooses to develop communication and reconnaissance satellites.

Iraq has been attempting to enter the space industry for almost ten years. The country hopes to place communication, reconnaissance, information, and security satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by working with European nations and relying on domestic capabilities.

Iraq has only launched one satellite into orbit with success thus far. It hasn't, however, entered any other satellite-related fields, like space stations, satellite building, satellite launches, space biology, space observation, etc.

Iraqis have not been able to fully realize their potential in the field of space exploration because of the conflicts that have engulfed the nation in recent decades.

Oversight of Iraq's space activities falls under the Ministry of Communications.

In 2014, Iraqis attempted to launch their first satellite, Dijlah, in conjunction with Italians. After Russians launched the jointly built Dijlah satellite into space, it successfully sent data about dust storms to ground stations in Baghdad and Rome. Remarkably, it was still operating in 2019.

Iraq's Minister of Communications announced plans to establish a space agency in conjunction with France in 2020. The purpose was to construct and launch space-based information and security satellites. At the time, the satellites' intended applications ranged from security and economic goals to agriculture, environmental monitoring, military applications, and providing information and security services.

Iraq has also collaborated in space with Egypt, albeit the results of these collaborations are unknown.

Iraq claimed to have launched a satellite in 1989, during Saddam Hussein's regime. However, examination of old pictures and images indicated that the rocket detonated early in the launch, ending in failure.

Iraq's limited space operations indicate that the country has a long way to go before becoming a spacefaring nation. The nation currently relies substantially on foreign aid in this domain. It's normal for a country in the early phases of space exploration to draw on the experiences of other countries. In this voyage, the Islamic Republic of Iran's successful expertise in satellite development, launching, biological capsules, and possession of advanced satellite launch facilities can be of great assistance to Iraq.

This partnership, particularly in monitoring shared water supplies with neighboring nations and tracking dust storms, has a variety of implications for Iraq. Addressing these fundamental difficulties is made easier by Iran's up-to-date and precise satellite images. If Iraq decides to build reconnaissance and communication satellites in the future, Iran's space facilities can readily and economically support Iraq's space launches.