Iran’s telecoms minister said in a social media post on Wednesday that Nour 3 satellite had been successfully placed into an orbit of 450 kilometers from Earth.

Issa zarepour said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force had carried out the launch using the home-made Ghassed launch vehicle.

“I congratulate this success to the people, those working hard in the country’s aerospace sector and experts at the IRGC Aerospace Force,” said the minister in his post in Farsi on Virasty.

Iran seeks to expand its aerospace sector to be able to use satellites for various applications, including for management of agriculture lands and for research activities.