Russia just launched 52 satellites—including some from Iran

Technology Dec 29, 2025

Russia pulled off a big space move this Sunday, sending 52 satellites into orbit with its Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Vostochny spaceport.
Among them were two Aist-2T satellites, built to snap 3D images and track things like wildfires and floods from space for at least five years.

Iran's biggest satellite yet is on board

Three of the new satellites—Paya, Kowsar, and Zafar-2—came from Iran. Paya stands out as Iran's heaviest satellite so far (150kg) and will help monitor resources and the environment.
This launch follows another Iranian satellite sent up in July, indicating ongoing cooperation between Russia and Iran on space projects.