Ahmadinejad: We will send the first Iranian to space in 7 years
Wednesday night, during an interview with Iran's Local TV in Hamedan, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeated his previous claims that Iran's space mission is on track and the first Iranian will be sent to space in 7 years.
Two years ago Iran launched an unmanned satellite into space for the first time. Following claims about subsequent plans for "manned" space missions, some skeptical Iranian cartoonists and humorists suggested that Ahmadinejad volunteer for the first trip himself. But in February, Iran celebrated the successful launch of a home-built satellite carrying a rat, turtles and worms, amid Western concerns Tehran is using its nuclear and space industries to develop atomic and ballistic weapons. Some military analysts believe China, Russia and North Korea are assisting Iran with her space program.
Related NOTE: On September 18, 2006, Anousheh Ansari captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer and the first astronaut of Iranian descent. She also earned a place in history as the fourth private explorer to visit space. She blasted off for an eight-day expedition aboard the International Space Station as part of the Expedition 14 crew of the Soyuz TMA-9, which included NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin.