Iran claims it just sent animals into space in a new capsule designed to carry humans
Iran
Iran said on Wednesday (Dec 6) that it sent a capsule into orbit carrying animals as the nation prepares for human missions in coming years. The official IRNA news agency quoted telecommunications minister Isa Zarepour as saying that the capsule was launched 130 kilometres into orbit.
Zarepour stated that the 500-kilogramme capsule launch is intended to take Iranian astronauts to space in the future years. He mentioned that the launch of the capsule on a new class of domestically built space rockets named "Salman" could prove significant for the nation.
It was not immediately clear if live animals were in the capsule, whose launch came 13 years after it claimed that it sent turtles, a rat and worms into space.
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Iran's space mission
Every now and then, Iran reports successful satellite and other spacecraft launches. In September, it announced that it had launched a data-collection satellite into space.
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The US, along with other Western countries, has frequently warned Iran against space launches, claiming that the same technology can be used to build ballistic missiles, including those with nuclear warheads.
The successful launch of its first military satellite into orbit in April 2020 was criticised by the US.
Iran has always denied any ambition to develop nuclear weapons, insisting that its satellite and rocket launches are for civil or defence purposes only.
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The launches have not always been successful as Tehran has struggled with several satellite launch failures in the past.
Tehran has been under tough US sanctions since Washington's 2018 withdrawal from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
The accord, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, granted the Islamic Republic sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear activities aimed at preventing the country from developing an atomic warhead.
(With inputs from agencies)