Iran successfully launches monkey into space

According to AFP, the Arabic-language Al-Alam TV channel reported that on January 28, Iran launched a capsule carrying a live monkey into space and then recovered the "cargo" intact.

The channel quoted a statement from the Aerospace Department of the Iranian Ministry of Defense as saying: "Iran successfully launched a device codenamed Pishgam (Pioneer) carrying a live monkey and recovered the device intact to the ground."

(Source: ndtv.com)

The monkey was reportedly “still alive” after being taken to an altitude of 120 km in a suborbital flight.

In mid-January, Iran announced that it would make another attempt to send a monkey into orbit, part of its “preparations to send a man into space” scheduled for 2020. In 2011, the Islamic Republic failed to send a monkey into space.

Iran's space program has caused great concern in the West because they believe Tehran could develop ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads, which they suspect are being secretly built./.

According to (Vietnam+) - VT