"Today we are ready to announce this. Today we have directed the research center of the ministry of science to make five space capsules for us in the next three years in order to deliver a person into the 190-kilometre (118-mile) orbit", Jahromi said at a Tuesday forum, as quoted by the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA).

In January, Jahromi said that Iran had prepared six satellites to be launched into space. In October of last year, the minister said that Iran was planning to have new satellites launched into Earth's orbit by the end of the current Iranian calendar year, which falls on 19 March.

Previously, the Minister stated that Iran was planning to send an astronaut into space but it needed the help of other countries to do so. Jahromi mentioned Russia in particular as one of the countries that Iran wanted to hold talks with regarding assistance in sending an Iranian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS).

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