Ahmadinejad says ready to be first Iranian astronaut

Ahmadinejad says ready to be first Iranian astronaut

PanARMENIAN.Net - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he's ready to be the first Iranian astronaut sent into space as part of Iran's goal of manned space flight, The Associated Press reports.

Ahmadinejad says he's willing to sacrifice his life for Iran's ambitious space program. His comments were provided on Monday by the official IRNA news agency.

Iran sent a monkey into space last Monday, describing the launch a successful step toward Tehran's plan to send an astronaut into space within the next five to six years.

The monkey named "Pishgam," or "Pioneer" in Farsi, reportedly traveled 120 kilometers (72 miles) into space and then safely returned to Earth.

In 2010, Iran said it launched an Explorer rocket into space carrying a mouse, a turtle and worms.

 Top stories
Azerbaijani authorities report that they have already resettled 3,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh town of Stepanakert.
On June 10, Azerbaijani President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will leave for Turkey on a working visit.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive.
Partner news
---