Islamic Republic of Iran to send living organism into space on board Kavoshgar 5: Official

Head of the Iran Space Agency (ISA) Hamid Fazeli says the country plans to send a living organism into space on board the country’s indigenous Kavoshgar 5 (Explorer 5) satellite carrier soon.

Kavoshgar 5, with a weight of about 300 kg and an altitude of 120-130 kilometers suborbital, with a bio-capsule – where a living animal, a monkey, is to be placed – will blast into space in the next Iranian calendar month (beginning June 21), Fazeli said on Wednesday.

He added that the monkey underwent preparatory stages and received necessary training over the past year.

Fazeli noted that that the ISA plans to study the vital signs of the living organism and obtain results, which are important for sending humans to space in the future.

In March, 2011, Iran successfully launched the Kavoshgar 4 rocket, capable of sending satellites and carrying live creatures into space.

Iran launched its first indigenous data-processing satellite, Omid (Hope), into orbit in 2009.

Iran is one of the 24 founding members of the United Nations’ Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which was set up in 1959.