Iran says it sent monkey into space and back
Source: Agencies |
January 29, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IRAN said yesterday it had launched a live monkey into space, describing the launch as another step toward Tehran's goal of a manned space flight.
The defense ministry said the space launch of the monkey coincided "with the days of" the Prophet Muhammad's birthday, which was last week, but gave no date, according to a statement carried by the official news agency IRNA.
The launch was "another giant step" in space technology and biological research "which is the monopoly of a few countries," the statement said.
The monkey was sent up in a Kavoshgar rocket dubbed "Pishgam" (Pioneer), reaching a height of more than 120km.
"This shipment returned safely to Earth with the anticipated speed along with the live organism," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi told the semi-official Fars news agency. "The launch of Kavoshgar and its retrieval is the first step toward sending humans into space in the next phase."
Iran's Press TV displayed photographs of the monkey inside its capsule, but did not say if these were from before or after the launch.
Bruno Gruselle of France's Foundation for Strategic Research, said that if the monkey launch report were true it would suggest a "quite significant" engineering feat by Iran. "If you can show that you are able to protect a vehicle of this sort from re-entry, then you can probably protect a military warhead and make it survive the high temperatures and high pressures of re-entering," Gruselle said.
The defense ministry said the space launch of the monkey coincided "with the days of" the Prophet Muhammad's birthday, which was last week, but gave no date, according to a statement carried by the official news agency IRNA.
The launch was "another giant step" in space technology and biological research "which is the monopoly of a few countries," the statement said.
The monkey was sent up in a Kavoshgar rocket dubbed "Pishgam" (Pioneer), reaching a height of more than 120km.
"This shipment returned safely to Earth with the anticipated speed along with the live organism," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi told the semi-official Fars news agency. "The launch of Kavoshgar and its retrieval is the first step toward sending humans into space in the next phase."
Iran's Press TV displayed photographs of the monkey inside its capsule, but did not say if these were from before or after the launch.
Bruno Gruselle of France's Foundation for Strategic Research, said that if the monkey launch report were true it would suggest a "quite significant" engineering feat by Iran. "If you can show that you are able to protect a vehicle of this sort from re-entry, then you can probably protect a military warhead and make it survive the high temperatures and high pressures of re-entering," Gruselle said.
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