Iran Joins the Space Race

[zorgon]

Iran Joins the Space Race

Iranian Space Agency Home Page

http://www.isa.ir/


Iran reportedly launched this little guy into space successfully.

Iran's space monkey returns
January 28, 2013 13:32

Iran announced its successful launch of a monkey into space Monday.

Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state television that the monkey, who was strapped into a harness (looking rather terrified, we might add), took a 75-mile long sub-orbital flight before "returning intact," BBC News reported.

Western powers fear that the technology could be used to launch a nuclear warhead, and are looking to restart talks with Iran about scaling down its nuclear program, Reuters reported.

A top US official went so far as to say Iran may have violated UN resolutions with the launch, Agence France-Presse reported.

"Any space launch vehicle capable of placing an object in orbit is directly relevant to the development of long-range ballistic missiles as well as SLV (small launch vehicle) technologies, and they're all virtually identical and interchangeable," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told AFP.

Hamid Fazeli, director of the Iran Space Agency, said that the (poor, frightened) primate was chosen "because of biological similarities between humans and monkeys."

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/iran-space-monkey-returns-orbit