 "After a monkey, Iran mulls sending Persian cat into space")
Tehran: Iran says it is considering sending a Persian cat into space as the next animal astronaut after claims of launching a monkey earlier this year.
The effort is part of Iranian ambitions to send a human into space by 2018, but questions have been raised about the reported successes of Iran’s animal missions.
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Representational image. Reuters[/caption]
Monday’s report by the official IRNA news agency quotes space official Mohammad Ebrahimi as saying the next animal could be the distinctive Persian cat, a long-haired, flat-faced breed named after Iran’s former name of Persia
No other details were given.
In February, Iran insisted it successful sent a monkey outside earth’s atmosphere and returned it safely. But photos raised international questions about whether the same animal was shown in pre- and post-launch images.
Associated Press