Iran announced Saturday its plan to send a second monkey to space by end of November.
It was previously reported that the Iranian Space Agency is planning to send a cat into space by March 2014. However, it seems that it is withdrawing the idea after being criticized by PETA advocates who argued that cats have complex personalities and capable of feeling pain.
The announcement was made by the Iranian Space Agency deputy head Hamid Fazel reported by a local newspaper Jomhuri Eslami.
Another report from Press TV stated that Fazel has already completed all the preparations needed to be able to send another animal into space. The animal chosen will be another monkey which will be carried aboard by a so-called “liquid-fuel carrier.”
Iran had successfully sent a monkey to space on the “Pishgam” space capsule, a.k.a. Pioneer, in January. Aside from plans of sending animals into space, Iran is also launching more satellites towards the end of March 2014. These are Prudence, Tadbir, Sharifsat and Nahid.
The country had successfully launched two satellites into orbit in 2013 namely Harbinger in Space and Navid-e Elm-o Sanat. Likewise, it had also launched the orbiter Rasad (Observer).
Iran is planning to make its first human launch by 2018 as soon as it completes all the flight tests conducted on animals. The agency will continue to send other animals before then.
For the record, Iran has expressed that it had successfully sent a turtle, a mouse, and worms into space before sending the first monkey in January of this year. However, some were skeptic about it and accused the agency of making false claims.
These animals, described by the agency as “animal astronauts,” are crucial in the country’s development of its space program. Through it, they can decide the possibility and safety of a planned human launch.
