Iran touts monkey launched into space, US officials skeptical
A gray-tufted monkey strapped in a pod resembling an infant’s car seat rode an Iranian rocket into space and returned safely, officials said Monday.
Similar to the efforts by the US and Soviet Union over 50 years ago, the mission is described as a step toward Tehran’s goal of a manned space flight.
The US leadership is not only skeptical but cautions about the possibility of Iran weaponizing their missiles and satellites.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said she could not confirm whether the Iranian launch had actually occurred.
“We don’t have any way to confirm this one way or other with regard to the primate, but our concern with Iran’s development of space-launch vehicle technologies are, obviously, well-known,” Nuland said.
“Any space-launch vehicle capable of placing an object in orbit is directly relevant to the development of long-range ballistic missiles as well as SLV [satellite launch vehicle] technologies.”
She added that UN Security Council Resolution 1929 bars Iran from “any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology.”
Iranian officials said on January 28 that the country had sent a monkey 120 kilometers above Earth aboard a rocket, and the animal returned safely. Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Iran had taken a big step toward sending a human to space by launching the monkey in a sub-orbital flight aboard a Kavoshgar rocket.
