Iran says it has successfully launched new research rocket into space
By APWednesday, February 3, 2010
Iran launches new research rocket into space
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s defense minister says his country has successfully launched a new rocket carrying a mouse, turtle and worms into space for research purposes.
State television broadcast images of the launch of the Kavoshgar-3, or Explorer-3, rocket on Wednesday. State TV also showed officials putting a mouse, two turtles and about a dozen creatures that looked like worms inside a capsule placed in the rocket before it blast off.
Gen. Ahmad Vahidi did not elaborate on the rocket or its research purposes.
Over the past two years Iran has put two rockets into space carrying equipment that collected information on determining the path, pressure, wind and temperature and sent them back to earth.
Earlier, Iran unveiled a satellite booster rocket.
