Iran sends monkey into space

Tehran: Iran has sent a live monkey into space onboard the indigenous Pishgam rocket, state-run Press TV reported Monday.

A capsule containing the monkey was sent into space and the "shipment" was retrieved intact later, Xinhua cited the Tehran-based Arab-language Al-Alam channel as saying. The project was studied and carried out by Iran`s Space Agency. The capsule in the Pishgam (Pioneer) rocket was launched by the aerospace division of Iran`s defence ministry to a pre-determined orbit, the Fars news agency said. None of the reports elaborated on its duration of the capsule in space. A previous attempt by Tehran to send a monkey into space was reported to have failed. IANS