Iran
Shahroud Missile Test Site
About
The Shahroud missile test facility is the location of development, testing, and launches of solid-propellant missiles and space launch vehicles (SLVs) of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).1 In April 2020, the IRGC successfully launched its first military satellite, the Noor 1, from Shahroud,2 and in March 2022, the IRGC successfully launched its second military satellite, the Noor 2, from Shahroud.3 Since then, the IRGC has launched additional SLVs and satellites from the facility.
This facility was attacked and damaged by Israeli airstrikes in June of 2025 as part of the conflict between Iran and Israel.4 This strike was part of a larger operation targeting nuclear and missile infrastructure in Iran.
Glossary
- Space Launch Vehicle (SLV)
- A rocket used to carry a payload, such as a satellite, from Earth into outer space. SLVs are of proliferation concern because their development requires a sophisticated understanding of many of the same technologies used in the development of long-range ballistic missiles (e.g., propulsion, guidance and control, staging, and structures). Some states (e.g., Iran), may have developed SLV programs in order to augment their ballistic missile capabilities.
Sources
- Max Fisher, “Deep in the Desert, Iran Quietly Advances Missile Technology,” New York Times, 23 May 2018; John Krzyzaniak, “Iran’s Military Space Program Picks up Speed,” Newlines Institute, 27 October 2021, https://newlinesinstitute.org.
- “Iran Launches Military Satellite,” Arms Control Today, May 2020.
- Maher Chmaytelli, “Iran puts second military satellite into orbit,” Reuters, 8 March 2022, www.reuters.com.
- According to research and satellite imagery analysis by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, June 2025.
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