Iran Sends Monkey into Space

Iran has announced that they have successfully sent a monkey into space, with the primate reaching an altitude of 120km in a Pishgam rocket for a sub-orbital flight and then safely returning to earth.

The flight took place on January 15th, with the director of Iran Space Agency (ISA) Hamid Fazeli saying that a primate was chosen for the mission due to its similarities with humans, and claiming that the plan to send animals into the space is part of a broader project to send human beings on space missions. Iran plans to send its first manned mission into space within the next five to eight years.

Western nations have expressed concern that Iran’s space programme is a cover for the development of long-range missiles which could in the future carry nuclear warheads. However, Iran denies this claim and mainstains that their nuclear and space programmes are purely for peaceful economic benefits.