The Minister of Information and Communications Technology Seyed Sattar Hashemi called for a change in policymaking approaches toward the space industry, stating that moving from technology development toward a demand-driven approach and bringing end users alongside industry stakeholders are essential for establishing a sustainable space economy.
“The space industry will become
economically sustainable when its services become part of people’s everyday
lives,” he said at the opening ceremony of the World Space Week (4-10 October)
in Tehran on Sunday.
Hashemi congratulated the
country’s scientists, elites, researchers, academics, and space-industry
professionals on the occasion and also paid tribute to the martyrs of the Israeli-US
war against Iran and all those who lost their lives in the fields of technology
and defense of the country.
“Alongside the issue of national
power and technological achievements, we must pay particular attention to the
economic potential of the space industry and its role in the future of the
country’s economy, he added referring to the significant technical achievements
made in the country’s space industry in recent years.
Space Economy Growing by 9
Percent Annually
The ICT Minister quoted the estimates
by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey regarding the future of the space
economy, saying “According to these estimates, the global space economy will
reach approximately $1.8 trillion by 2035, while the annual growth of this
industry is estimated at around 9 percent—nearly twice the nominal growth rate
of the global economy.”
“These figures,” he noted, “show
that the space economy has significant potential for value creation, and it is
essential that the country’s policy direction be aligned with this trend.”
He called for a paradigm shift in
policymaking in this field and added, “Technology development is a valuable and
commendable undertaking, but it realizes its true value when the end user is
positioned alongside the technology developer. From this perspective, we must
move from a supply-driven approach toward a demand-driven one.”
Noting that the country has
growing needs for space-based services across various sectors, the ICT Minister
stated “If the end user is positioned alongside space-industry stakeholders, a
new environment for the development of this industry will emerge. The space industry
will become economically sustainable when its services become part of people’s
everyday lives.”
He identified attention to the
next generation and the promotion of space culture among children and
adolescents as one example of this approach, and expressed his appreciation for
the programs of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and
Young Adults in this area.
“Introducing children and
adolescents to space technology and creating an image of and interest in this
field from the earliest years can influence the choices and career paths of the
next generation. Cooperation among the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of
Defense, the ICT Ministry, the private sector, and knowledge-based companies in
this area is an example of successful teamwork.”
Satellite Communications
Complement Terrestrial Networks
Referring to the country’s
communications needs and the obligations set out in development plans to
provide coverage to villages with more than 20 households, Hashemi said “For
areas where establishing high-quality terrestrial connectivity is
time-consuming due to geographical conditions and difficult terrain, we must
lay the necessary groundwork now to make use of space-based capabilities.”
“Moving from individual
satellites toward satellite constellations is one of the important pathways for
developing the country’s space industry. According to the reports presented,
three satellites out of the 24-satellite Shahid Soleimani constellation are
ready and, God willing, will be placed into orbit this year and unveiled during
the Ten-Day Dawn celebrations.”
The Minister posed the question
of whether satellite communications would replace terrestrial communications,
and said “The experience of developing mobile networks has also shown that new
networks do not necessarily replace existing networks. Rather, each has its own
function.”
“If high-quality and stable
fiber-optic connectivity is available to people, the use of mobile networks
will not be the first priority under normal circumstances. For this reason, the
project to replace copper cables with fiber optics is also being pursued with
the aim of establishing a high-quality fixed network.”
“At present,” he continued, “the
share of traffic on landline networks is lower than that on mobile networks,
and this ratio must change in the future.”
“Globally, too, the share of
fixed networks based on fiber optics remains significant. Therefore,
considering satellite networks as a replacement for fiber-optic infrastructure
is not an accurate approach; rather, these technologies should be used alongside
one another and according to different needs.”
Remote Sensing Important to
Manage Country’s Resources
He described communications as one
of the applications of the space industry and said “There are also significant
capabilities in the field of remote sensing, ranging from the management of the
country’s resources and water bodies to mineral exploration, cadastral mapping,
and other national needs, all of which can be facilitated through the use of
data and services provided by remote-sensing satellites.”
He highlighted the ICT Ministry’s
recent collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade on using
space capabilities in the mining sector.
“The end user must be positioned
alongside space-industry stakeholders, and this shift in perspective—from
focusing solely on technology development toward a demand-driven approach—must
be taken into consideration across all areas of the space industry.”
Rocket Revolution a Step to Economically
Viable Space Industry
Referring to the theme of World
Space Week “Rocket Revolution,” the ICT Minister said that the issue is
also significant from an economic perspective.
“A substantial portion of the
costs of the space industry is associated with launch vehicles, and efforts to
reduce launch costs are one of the requirements for making this industry
economically viable.”
“Using a single launch vehicle to
place a larger number of satellites into orbit, as well as efforts to reuse
launch vehicles, are being pursued in this direction and can reduce the costs
of the space industry,” he added.
At the conclusion, Hashemi expressed
his appreciation to the country’s specialists and professionals in the space
industry.
He paid tribute to the martyrs of
this field, including Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, who have worked
toward the development of the country’s technology and space industry, and
expressed hope that the development and transformation of the space industry
would continue with an economic approach and by relying on the capabilities of
the country’s specialists.