Russia’s Soyuz rocket in the early hours of Tuesday blasted off successfully to carry Iranian satellites into orbit, a launch that reflects growing space cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, according to IRNA.

Kowsar and Hodhod, were the first Iranian satellites launched on behalf of the country’s private sector.

The head of the Iran Space Organization, some members of the satellite manufacturing team and media personnel at the Iran Space Research Institute watched the live broadcast of the launch that was successfully accomplished.

Iran has launched two domestically-made satellites named Kowsar and Hodhod into space from Vostochny launch-pad in far eastern Russia, according to IRNA.

Kowsar satellite is the first space product of Omidfaza company that began its designing process in 2019. This follows the standard of cubic satellites, which reduces the time and cost in the construction process.

Weighing 30kg, Kowsar has an estimated orbital lifespan of over three years and can transmit color imaging with a range of 15km and at the rate of 6 frames per second. The satellite images are suitable for use in agriculture, land surveying, and cadaster.

Hodhod weighs 4kg and has an orbital height of 500 km with about four years of lifespan. The data from this satellite is also useful for agriculture, mapping, transport, and the environment.

The great advantage of the Hodhod satellite is that its mission is to create a dedicated platform for providing narrowband Internet of Things (IoT) services, with international coverage and in remote areas, including forests, mountains.