Iran launches spacecraft carrying animals

Iran announced on Wednesday that it successfully launched a domestically manufactured satellite-carrier rocket.

The Kavoshgar 3 (Explorer 3 in English), carried one rodent, two turtles, and several worms into space and returned them to Earth alive, the Iranian Students News Agency reported.

The 10-foot-long research rocket can also transfer electronic data and live footage back to Earth.

Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced the successful launch of the spacecraft during a ceremony held in Tehran to commemorate the country’s Aerospace Technology Day.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Communications and Information Technology Minister Reza Taqipour, Science, Research and Technology Minister Kamran Daneshju, and Education Minister Hamidreza Hajibabaii attended the event.

In addition, three new domestically manufactured satellites, the Tolou (Sunrise), the Mesbah 2 (Lantern 2), and the Navid (Promising Sign) as well as a new satellite-carrier engine, the Simorgh 3, were unveiled during the ceremony.

Ahmadinejad said the new satellites demonstrate Iran’s technological expertise.

Addressing scientists and government officials who attended the Aerospace Technology Day ceremony, he said, “Those people whose contributions have made all this possible deserve praise.”

He described the scientific breakthroughs as the dawn of a new era of national development.

He went on to say that Iran hopes to send astronauts into space one day.

The president also stated that Iran would like to start technological cooperation with other countries.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ahmadinejad said the enemy cannot impede Iran’s progress.

Science and technology is the arena for ending the global hegemonistic system, he observed.

--------- Simorgh 3 will launch Iran’s new satellites into space

The Iranian defense minister said the launch was a success and added that Iran’s space program is totally peaceful.

""Iran will not tolerate any un-peaceful use (of space) by any country,"" Vahidi stated.

He also said the newly unveiled satellites will be launched into space by the Simorgh satellite carrier