Iran to send second living creature to space soon

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Iran sent a monkey into space in January using a solid-fuel Pishgam (Pioneer) explorer.

"In a new initiative, Iran's Aviation Agency will send another living creature to the space by Mid October through a liquid fuel explorer which has less acceleration and is equipped with control and monitor system. It leads to a return of the living creature with high precession," he said.

Fazeli also expressed the hope that the living creature would be received again in the earth safe and sound.

Iran launched its first indigenous satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009. The country also sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into the space in February 2010, using the indigenous Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) carrier.

In June 2011, Iran put the 15.3-kilogram Rasad (Observation) orbiter in space. Rasad's mission was to take images of the Earth and transmit them along with telemetry information to the ground stations.

Iran also launched Navid-e Elm-o Sanat (Harbinger of Science and Industry), another indigenous satellite, into the orbit on February 3, 2012.

The satellite was a telecom, measurement and scientific one, whose records were reportedly used in a wide range of fields.

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