Simorgh rocket launch (Phoenix, سیمرغ), 27 July 2017 A Simorgh rocket was launched from the Imam Khomeini National Space Center, Iran, on 27 July 2017. Iranian official sources state that the rocket has reached orbit. The Simorgh rocket (سیمرغ, Phoenix, also called Safir-2) can place a satellite weighing up to 250 kg (550 pounds) in an orbit of 500 km (311 miles).