Qaem

Iranian solid-fuel small-lift orbital rocket

Qaem-100 is Iran's first all-solid orbital rocket, operated by the Revolutionary Guard rather than the civilian space agency. Its first orbital attempt, carrying the Nahid-1 satellite in March 2023, failed. The next, in January 2024, put the Soraya satellite into a 750-kilometre orbit — the highest Iran had reached at the time — and a third followed in September 2024. Western governments have raised concerns that the technology overlaps with Iran's ballistic missile programme.