Iran to send Kavoshgar 7 carrier into space

Iran Press TV

Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:19PM GMT

Iran plans to send a living organism into space onboard the country's Kavoshgar 7 (Explorer 7) satellite carrier soon, an Iranian official says.

Head of the Aerospace Industries Organization of Iranians Defense Ministry Mehdi Farahi told reporters on Tuesday that the satellite carrier would be launched into space from Imam Khomeini space station near the central city of Semnan.

"Kavoshgar 7 will be launched to an altitude of 120 kilometers above the Earth," Farahi said, adding that Iran has so far sent six satellite carriers into space in line with its plans to put astronauts into the orbit.

On January 28, Iran sent a monkey into space aboard an indigenous bio-capsule, code-named Pishgam (Pioneer), as a prelude to sending humans on space missions.

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.

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

SF/HMV/SS