Iran: It successfully sent monkey to space

Iran on Saturday said it had successfully sent a second monkey into space in preparation for a manned flight. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani released a message Saturday saying the monkey, named "Fargam" or Auspicious, returned to Earth safely after being sent to space, the Tasnim News Agency reported. Rouhani praised Iranian scientists for their work on the project and said this was the first time that a spacecraft running on liquid fuel had carried out such a mission. The monkey's return to Earth was broadcast live, but few details on the mission were reported. Fargam was the second monkey Iran has sent into space this year. On Jan. 28, a locally made rocket called Pishgam, or Pioneer, carried a monkey into space. In 2010, Iran successfully sent a rat, turtle and worms into space. Western countries have raised concern over Iran's space program, fearing that such technology could be used in ballistic missiles, the BBC reported. Iran has faced scrutiny for its nuclear program, which opponents say aims to develop nuclear weaponry.