Qased

قاصد Messenger

Mission Profile

Qased (Messenger) is an Iranian three-stage orbital launch vehicle operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, which placed the Noor-1 military reconnaissance satellite into orbit on 22 April 2020. Standing 17 meters tall with a 26,000 kg launch mass, it uses liquid-propellant first and second stages derived from the Shahab-3 ballistic missile and a solid third stage. Qased demonstrated Iran's operational military space surveillance capability and raised international concerns about dual-use ballistic missile technology development.