The Iran Space Agency had applied to the ITU for five geostationary (GEO) orbital slots for communications satellites. Several countries have already expressed interest in bidding on the project
The Iran Space Agency had applied to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for five geostationary (GEO) orbital slots for Ka- and Ku-band communications satellites, according to a report on spacewatchme.com.
The announcement provided no details about when it expects to fill the orbital slots it has applied for, and with which particular satellites.
Under ITU rules, Iran has a limited time period to place satellites in orbital slots allocated to it otherwise it will lose them and will have to reapply for other orbital slots. Iran has previously applied to the ITU for orbital slots but has not placed satellites in them within the allotted time period.
Iran is at the start of a communications satellite procurement process, and it is understood that companies from China, France, Russia, and South Korea have expressed interest in bidding on the project, called the National Communications Satellite (NCS).