TEHRAN – Iran plans to send a live monkey into
space aboard a rocket called Kavoshgar-5 (explorer-5) after the month of
Ramadan, Iran Space Agency (ISA) Director Hamid Fazeli announced on
Wednesday. 

Kavoshgar-5, with a weight of about 300 kg, contains a biological capsule in which a rhesus monkey will be placed. Speaking to reporters, Fazeli also said that ISA plans to send the Fajr
(Dawn) satellite into space within the coming few months. The Fajr satellite is a reconnaissance satellite powered by solar energy.  Fazeli also said that Iran will send the satellite into space aboard the upgraded Safir one satellite carrier rocket.  The launch of the satellite into the orbit will be a technological step forward in Iran’s space industry. Iran has already sent three satellites into space. On February 3, the
country successfully launched its third domestically manufactured
satellite, named the Navid (Promise), into orbit. The Safir one
satellite carrier rocket was used to launch the Navid research
satellite. >>>