All,

Iran is planning to launch the satellite Tolou in the first half of April. It is to be launched on the maiden flight of the new launch vehicle Simorgh from the Imam Khomeini Space Center, south-east of Semnan, into a 400 km orbit with an inclination of about 55 degrees.

Tolou ('Sunrise') has a mass of 80 kg and has a shape similar to OSCAR 7. It measures 100 cm tall and 70 cm across. Its mission is Earth observation, taking pictures with a resolution of 50 m.

Tolou's planned telemetry downlink frequency is in the 435 - 438 MHz band and its data downlink in the 1700 - 1710 MHz band. These downlinks may only be active when the satellite is in range of an Iranian telecommand station.

Currently several other satellites are being developed in Iran. Remarkably most of these satellites have their uplink and downlink frequencies planned in amateur radio bands, usually 2 m and 70 cm.

73, Nico PA0DLO