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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/02/15/764109/explainer-jam-e-jam-1-iran-leap-geostationary-orbit-new-broadcasting-era">presstv.ir</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Explainer: Jaam-e Jam 1 \u2013 Iran\u2019s giant leap into geostationary orbit and a new broadcasting era</h1>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">February 16, 2026</div>
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<img src="cid:ii_mlpgbqda0" alt="image.png" width="499" height="280"><br><p><br><strong>By Ivan Kesic</strong></p>
<p><strong>On February 12, 2026, the Islamic Republic of Iran
successfully launched its first geostationary broadcasting satellite,
Jaam-e Jam 1, marking a transformative milestone for the nation\u2019s media
infrastructure and advancing its long-standing ambition for
technological sovereignty in space.</strong></p>
<p>The successful deployment of Jaam-e Jam 1 \u2013 internationally
registered as Iran DBS \u2013 represents the culmination of decades of
planning, international negotiations, and incremental technological
progress.</p>
<p>The satellite was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
aboard a Russian Proton-M heavy-lift rocket, which also carried a
Russian meteorological satellite as part of the same mission.</p>
<p>Following a precisely coordinated sequence of maneuvers, Jaam-e Jam 1
was initially inserted into a geostationary transfer orbit. From there,
it will use its onboard propulsion system to reach its final
operational position at 34 degrees East longitude.</p>
<p>This achievement is not merely a technical milestone. It also marks a
strategic assertion of national capability in an arena where orbital
slots are finite and intensely contested resources.</p>
<p>Unlike Iran\u2019s previous satellites, which operated in low Earth orbit
(LEO), Jam-e Jam 1 will function in geostationary orbit (GEO),
approximately 36,000 kilometers above the equator. At this altitude, it
will remain fixed over a single point on Earth\u2019s surface, providing
continuous coverage to Iran and the surrounding region.</p>
<p>Its mission is infrastructural rather than consumer-facing. Designed
to serve as a professional broadcasting backbone for the Islamic
Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the satellite lays the foundation
for next-generation interactive media services while reducing reliance
on foreign satellite capacity.</p>
<p><strong>Long road to geostationary orbit</strong></p>
<p>Iran\u2019s pursuit of space capabilities began in earnest in 2009 with
the launch of its first domestically produced satellite, Omid, an
achievement that placed the country among a small group of countries
capable of independently building and launching satellites.</p>
<p>In the years that followed, Iran steadily expanded its presence in
low Earth orbit with missions such as Rasad, Navid, and Fajr, each
building on the technical lessons and operational experience of its
predecessors.</p>
<p>In parallel, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) developed its
own space program, launching the Nour satellite series using
solid-fueled Qased rockets.</p>
<p>These accomplishments were achieved under the strain of extensive
international sanctions aimed at restricting Iran\u2019s access to global
technological supply chains, making each milestone particularly
significant.</p>
<p>Reaching geostationary orbit, however, required capabilities beyond
those of Iran\u2019s existing indigenous launch vehicles, compelling the
country to adopt a different approach.</p>
<p>Geostationary orbit \u2013 approximately 36,000 kilometers above the
equator, where satellites match Earth\u2019s rotational speed and appear
fixed over a single longitude \u2013 offers critical advantages for
communications and broadcasting. Yet accessing this orbit demands
heavy-lift rockets and advanced orbital transfer systems.</p>
<p>To position a satellite at such an altitude, Iran needed to secure an
international partnership while continuing to cultivate the technical
expertise necessary for future indigenous missions.</p>
<p><strong>Russian connection and the Ekvator project</strong></p>
<p>The path to Jaam-e Jam 1 can be traced through a series of space
cooperation agreements between Iran and Russia, undertaken with notable
discretion given their strategic implications.</p>
<p>In August 2022, Russia launched the Khayyam remote-sensing satellite
for Iran aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome,
underscoring the deepening space partnership between the two countries.</p>
<p>The Khayyam satellite, built by VNIIEM Corporation, provided Iran
with high-resolution Earth-imaging capabilities and was supported by
ground infrastructure developed by the Russian company NPK Barl.</p>
<p>Even as Khayyam was being readied for launch, indications emerged of a
more ambitious undertaking: a geostationary communications satellite
for Iran under construction by ISS Reshetnev, Russia\u2019s leading
manufacturer of communications satellites.</p>
<p>The project, internally known by the Russian name \u201cEkvator,\u201d appeared
in environmental impact documentation associated with its planned
launch aboard a Proton-M rocket.</p>
<p>According to the documentation, the satellite would be based on ISS
Reshetnev\u2019s Express-1000H platform, carry a payload mass of 755
kilograms, and be positioned at 34 degrees East longitude in
geostationary orbit.</p>
<p>That orbital slot \u2013 registered with the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the designation IRN-30B-34E \u2013 had
been reserved by Iran for decades as part of a long-term strategy to
secure access to the limited and highly competitive positions along the
geostationary arc.</p>
<p><strong>Strategic importance of orbital slots</strong></p>
<p>The orbital slot at 34 degrees East that Jaam-e Jam 1 now occupies is
far more than a coordinate in space; it represents a strategic national
asset whose value extends well beyond the satellite itself.</p>
<p>Geostationary orbital positions are allocated by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) through a complex framework of
application, technical coordination, and strict regulatory deadlines.
Countries that secure such slots must place operational satellites into
position within specified timeframes or risk forfeiting their rights\u2014a
requirement that has led to the expiration of many unused filings over
the years.</p>
<p>Iran\u2019s interest in geostationary communications dates back to the
pre-revolutionary Zohreh project, which envisioned procuring
communications satellites from foreign suppliers. Although that
initiative collapsed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the strategic
objective endured.</p>
<p>In 2017, the Iran Space Agency (ISA) announced that it had filed
applications with the ITU for five geostationary slots for Ka-band and
Ku-band satellites, including positions at 24.19° East, 26° East, 34°
East, and 43.5° East.</p>
<p>The 34-degree East slot, in particular, had long figured in Iranian
planning, with earlier attempts to activate it through cooperation with
French and Russian firms. Jam-e Jam 1 finally brings that decades-old
reservation into operational reality, securing Iran\u2019s foothold in a
region of the geostationary arc where international telecommunications
rights are measured in fractions of degrees and defended through
sustained diplomatic engagement.</p>
<p><strong>Satellite\u2019s technical mission and capabilities</strong></p>
<p>Jaam-e Jam 1 is not a direct-to-home broadcasting satellite intended
for individual household reception. Instead, it is engineered for
professional ground stations equipped with specialized infrastructure,
forming the backbone of the national distribution network of the Islamic
Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).</p>
<p>From its station at 34 degrees East, the satellite will relay audio
and video feeds between central broadcasting hubs and regional stations
across the country, ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery of
programming nationwide.</p>
<p>This infrastructural function aligns with what officials have
described as a strategic pivot toward interactive broadcasting, an
approach that anticipates two-way services and advanced content
distribution architectures capable of reshaping how audiences engage
with state media.</p>
<p>Equipped with Ka-band and Ku-band transponders, Jaam-e Jam 1 provides
the bandwidth necessary for high-definition video transmission and
potentially for expanded data services beyond conventional broadcasting.</p>
<p>By owning and operating its own geostationary platform, IRIB reduces
its historical reliance on leased capacity from foreign satellite
operators. This shift carries implications not only for operational
autonomy and technical control but also for the resilience and security
of Iran\u2019s media ecosystem.</p>
<p>Direct control over distribution infrastructure mitigates
vulnerability to external political or commercial pressures and helps
ensure continuity of national broadcasting services independent of
foreign-managed systems.</p>
<p><strong>Broader context of Iran's space ambitions</strong></p>
<p>Jaam-e Jam 1 did not emerge in isolation, but as part of a sustained
and accelerating space development program that has gained notable
momentum in recent years.</p>
<p>In early 2026 alone, Iran successfully placed the Zafar, Paya, and
Kowsar satellites into orbit, underscoring the increasing reliability of
its launch vehicles and the growing sophistication of its satellite
engineering.</p>
<p>The head of the Iran Space Agency, Hassan Salariyeh, has outlined plans for even more advanced initiatives in the coming years.</p>
<p>These include the Raad family of radar imaging satellites, designed
to provide Earth observation capabilities unaffected by cloud cover or
darkness, and the Martyr Qassem Soleimani satellite constellation,
envisioned as the first such network in the Muslim world.</p>
<p>These announcements build upon earlier milestones, including the
successful launch of the Sorayya satellite to an altitude of 750
kilometers aboard the IRGC\u2019s Qaem-100 rocket, and the simultaneous
placement of three satellites into orbit by the Simorgh carrier rocket,
which reached an apogee of 1,100 kilometers.</p>
<p>Each mission incrementally expands the boundaries of Iran\u2019s technical
capabilities and contributes to the institutional knowledge base
required for eventual indigenous access to geostationary orbit.</p>
<p>The country\u2019s seventh five-year development plan includes objectives
to consolidate low Earth orbit operations while laying the technical
foundation for reaching geostationary orbit. Projects such as the Sarir
and Soroush carrier rockets are intended to help achieve these goals by
the end of the decade.</p>
<p><strong>Path forward for Iranian space communications</strong></p>
<p>The activation of Jaam-e Jam 1 at 34 degrees East creates new
opportunities for Iran\u2019s space-based communications infrastructure while
also underscoring the challenges that remain.</p>
<p>The satellite secures Iran\u2019s claim to a strategically valuable
orbital slot and provides the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
(IRIB) with a dedicated national asset. However, its launch relied on
Russian assistance rather than an indigenous Iranian launch vehicle.</p>
<p>Efforts to develop domestic rockets capable of reaching geostationary
orbit continue through programs such as Sarir and Soroush, which are
designed to eventually place heavier satellites at 36,000 kilometers
without foreign support.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Saman orbital transfer block, intended to enable
satellites to raise their orbits from low Earth orbit to higher
altitudes, has undergone preliminary testing and is being prepared for
more comprehensive trials.</p>
<p>Together, these parallel advances in launch vehicles, orbital
transfer systems, and satellite manufacturing are gradually assembling
the full technological ecosystem required for independent access to all
major orbital regimes.</p>
<p>Four additional geostationary slots reserved by Iran with the
International Telecommunication Union remain available for future
deployment, whether through international procurement or increasingly
domestic production as capabilities mature.</p>
<p>Each successful mission reinforces the momentum of this long-term
national project, bringing closer the point at which Iran will be able
to deploy and operate geostationary satellites entirely through its own
technical resources and expertise.</p>
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