John F. Kerry

the irony is palpable.


Iran sends rocket with animal menagerie into space
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AP – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, gestures towards a model of Iran's new domestically-built …
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press Writer – 39 mins ago
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran announced Wednesday it launched a menagerie of animals — including a mouse, two turtles and worms — into space on a research rocket, a feat President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said showed Iran could defeat the West in the battle of technology.

Ahmadinejad also unveiled the model of a light booster rocket that is being built and three new, Iranian-built satellites, touted as the latest achievements in the country's ambitious space program.

The Iranian space program has worried Western powers, which fear the same technology used to launch satellites and research capsules could also be used to build long-range intercontinental missiles and deliver warheads.

A U.S. defense expert said there was no scientific purpose to launching such animals into space and that the launch was likely more aimed at boosting Iran's prestige.

To test a life-support system of use to humans, "the obvious choice would be to send a monkey," said James Lewis, senior fellow at Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Worms in space serve no purpose."

"The launch was clearly part of Iran's effort to advance military technology and assert political dominance in space," said Lewis "It's also a show of confidence. Space rockets give you prestige and influence, and that is what Iran seeks."

The launch of the rocket Kavoshgar-3, which means Explorer-3 in Farsi, was announced by Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi to mark the National Day of Space Technology. The announcement came a year after Iran sent its first domestically made telecommunications satellite — called Omid, or Hope — into orbit for 40 days.

Iran's state TV broadcast images Wednesday of officials putting a mouse, two turtles and about a dozen creatures that looked like worms inside a capsule into the Explorer-3, which appeared to be about 10 feet long. TV then aired footage of the rocket blasting off.

The rocket was fitted with a life-support system and cameras that filmed the condition and movements of the animals as well as images from the rocket's exterior, transmitting it to experts on the ground, as it arched up into space, the state news agency IRNA reported.

The rocket traveled "beyond the atmosphere" and parachuted back to Earth, said Ebrahim Mahmoudzadeh, a senior Defense Ministry official. He did not specify precisely how high it flew, but suggested its animal payload had survived.

"The main mission of Explorer-3 was to travel beyond atmosphere carrying living animals in certain living conditions so that it would go and get back safely," he said on state television. "The work was successful."

Iran's lofty space plans also include putting a man in orbit within 10 years.

Ahmadinejad praised the latest launch and said greater events would come in the future.

The scientific arena is where we should defeat the (West's) domination," Ahmadinejad said in remarks broadcast live on state TV. He said the launch is a "very big event. This is the first presence of animals in space launched by Iran. It's the start of bigger achievements." "

The model of the light booster rocket, named Simorgh, was displayed at a space show in Tehran, along with the three new Iranian-built satellites — Mesbah-2, Tolo and Navid-e-Elm-o-Sanat.

Officials said the Simorgh rocket can carry a satellite weighing 220 pounds (100 kilograms) up to 310 miles (500 kilometers) above the Earth. Ahmadinejad said the Simorgh would carry Mesbah-2 into space but did not say when.

The space ceremony Wednesday was part of 10-day celebrations leading up to 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which falls on Feb 11.

As it seeks to expand its influence in the Middle East, Iran showcases its technological successes as signs it can advance despite the threat of U.S. and U.N. sanctions over its controversial nuclear program. In 2005, Iran launched its first commercial satellite on a Russian rocket in a joint project with Moscow. But since then, Russia and Italy have balked at launching the Mesbah — prompting Iran to develop its own satellites and rocket program.

Iran is also pushing forward on its military missile program, frequently testing missiles capable of reaching Israel, U.S. bases in the Gulf and even parts of southeast Europe.

The West is concerned Iran is trying to build an atomic weapon, but Tehran denies the charge and says it's nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, such as electricity production.

John Pike, director of the U.S.-based security analyst group globalsecurity.org, said technology developed in the space program is easily transferable to the missile program. "It's just a question of what you put on the pointy end — whether it's turtles or a hydrogen bomb," he said.

He said Iran was unlikely to be able to get a man into space any time soon, since it would a require a rocket far larger than the largest and longest-range missiles currently in Iran's arsenal.

But a space program "is another way to get publicity. It's an attention-grabbing device," he said. "It's called rattling your rockets. These things don't do you any good unless people notice them."




.....iran is more progressive than America right now people, just think about that, and be ashamed. and once u are, demand that congress and obama not destroy americas lead in space which we acquired a few years after sputnik and havent even been close to giving up until now....


ps if someone could take out the 's in the title thanks.

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Nasa under Obama

verklingen

this is a new kind of nonsense you're talking. firstly, what is not progressive about our space program? look at their missions in development:

Missions — NASA Science

now tell me how sending some animals to their death in space approaches any of them. are you really this stupid? so there won't be a moon base. big whoop. but advancing science? oh no, that's not progressive at all!

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“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

Bearsy

The US has been consistently been launching animals in space since 1947 to study the effects of space travel on various biological functions.
So how is Iran more progressive?

And again, like I said in the other thread you made about this that you chose to ignore...
A Moon mission does not a NASA make.

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Being

he ignores what doesn't agree with his argument and he can't defeat.... ya know typical gop tactics

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R.I.P. Gov

stoneric

Iran is also pushing forward on its military missile program, frequently testing missiles capable of reaching Israel, U.S. bases in the Gulf and even parts of southeast Europe.

Solution: Remove US bases from the gulf.

Grieves

In 40 years when they catch up...I'll worry...

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John F. Kerry

u people who say i ignore what i dont agree with, and literally nothing else, perhaps you should read the multiple page posts i make reponding to issue after issue before you closemindedly assume that all one has to do is "realize" that your side is obviously right, but u dont even really think about why u think u are right in the first place, being is such a liberal ideolgue its not even interesting to look at his posts, he doesnt say anything new, just tries to score points for pelosi



... obviously im not too worried aboout irans space program but the symbollism is astounding, what will things look like in 50 years if we give up our lead to places that seem so laughably behind today that no one even worries about this shit.

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Nasa under Obama

stoneric

jeez.

verklingen

the symbolism OF WHAT?!?!?!?!

not going to the moon (again) while iran is sending mice and worms into space? that doesn't symbolize anything to me. you are just not good at thinking

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“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

notepad

lul

stoneric

This bullshit has nothing to do with Iran forging ahead in the space race. This is about trying to imply that if Iran has the technology to send worms in space then they surely can blow up mother israel.

Štulic

see my sig

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Being

when i haven't been beaten to it, i provide talking points and attempt to contribute.

while on previous threads I have referred to posts to please get a response at least three times, and every time it is ignored. Its not like im making it up man, its very obvious.

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R.I.P. Gov

SageTree

Something is astounding....here ...

And

For your own health I wish you wouldn't either



I jest.....

What if Iran goes to space and finds value in the scientific processes and began to understand the gov'ts they oppose aims and hopes for further understanding life.

Islamic math writing and sciences all came from the hope to understand and praise Allah's creation.

Maybe this 'getting ahead' could really bring everyone closer together and offer a place of common understanding/goals?

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Being

sage you really are an enlightened individual

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R.I.P. Gov

SageTree

If you say so Captain, I'm going to PM you my Wife's phone number!

__/\__

SageTree

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John F. Kerry

maybe it could ,

but Neda sure wont enjoy the fruits of the peaceful islamic revolutions flowering, whenever that supposedly happens, her blood has already been long scrubbed from the streetcorner where the basij ripped open her skull with a batton for daring to stand on a streetcorner in defiance of a madman who calls for nations to be wiped of the map.


more likely they will use the shit to wreak havoc, but thats just my opinion i guess.

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Nasa under Obama

stoneric

Again with the bullshit.

John F. Kerry

lol , the neda part is fine, no problem there, just "change the damn context of his annihlation cry DAMN YOU!"

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Nasa under Obama

SageTree

So are you ruling out a chance that maybe just maybe little Iranian children won't get a sense of nationalism and want to be more learned so that they too can work in the space programme, just like little boys and girls in the states?

And maybe with that learnedness will come the poison to fundamentalism which is literacy and the chances and changes it provides to the fabric of life. In other words....

What if Iran wanting to go to space is the nail in the coffin of those who do brainwashing and oppress peoples?

Or I guess they could just make some bad ass rockets

Maybe if we didn't all play with guns we wouldn't have to fear other people with bigger guns... aka-penises.

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