The Iranian-made Kowsar and Hodhod satellites were successfully launched into orbit by a Russian Soyuz-2.1 spacecraft.

A Russian rocket carrying a payload of satellites into orbit – including two from Iran – has successfully launched, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said. This move is seen as an expression of growing cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.

The Soyuz-2.1 spacecraft lifted off as planned from the Vostochny Cosmodrome launch site in the Russian Far East, placing its payload into a designated orbit nine minutes after liftoff on Tuesday.

Roscosmos said two Russian Ionosfera-M satellites – designed to monitor space weather around Earth – and 53 small satellites, including two from Iran, were successfully launched into orbit.

The two Iranian satellites Kowsar, a high-resolution imaging satellite, and Hodhod, a small communications satellite, were identified among the 53 small satellites. A Russian-Chinese student satellite, Druzhba ATURK, was also launched into orbit.

The Iranian satellites are the first to be launched on behalf of the country's private sector. The Kowsar was manufactured by the Omidfaza company, which began developing the satellite in 2019, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.

According to IRNA, the Kowsar has an expected lifespan of three years and the Hodhod is expected to operate for four years.

Iran's Kowsar and Hodhod satellites successfully launchedhttps://t.co/O7635DwpTy pic.twitter.com/OQki7GrrUD

— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) November 5, 2024

In 2022, a Russian rocket launched an Iranian Earth observation satellite called Khayyam, built in Russia at Tehran's request. Russia launched another Iranian satellite called Pars-1 into orbit in February.

The Pars-1 is a research satellite designed to scan Iran's topography from orbit, Iranian state media reported at the time.

The latest satellite launch comes as Russia and Iran are expanding their ties in various areas, and amid increasing criticism from Ukraine and the West that Tehran has provided Moscow with drones for use in attacks on Ukrainian targets.

Moscow and Tehran also plan to further strengthen their ties through a “comprehensive strategic partnership” to be signed during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's planned visit to Russia, the date of which has not yet been confirmed.

Russia's satellite launches follow a series of failed launches that have plagued Iran's civilian space program in recent years, including five consecutive failed launches for the Simorgh program, a satellite-based rocket.

A separate Iranian space program run by the country's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps has seen successful launches from a military base outside Shahroud, east of the capital Tehran.

Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press show Israel may have bombed the site during its Oct. 26 attack on Iran.

Iran said at the time that the Israeli attack caused minimal damage.