Update: Iran Tried and Failed to Launch a Monkey Into Space Last Month

Update: Iran Tried and Failed to Launch a Monkey Into Space Last Month | Popular Science@import "/files/css/e84d5f4ba8aad967aaa06e4d8738305d.css";@import "/files/css/33f6b7ecb4513ed2fe6c670880a27187.css"; home Login/Register Newsletter Subscribe RSS GadgetsComputersCamerasSmartphonesVideo GamesCarsConceptsHybridsElectric CarsScienceFuture of the EnvironmentEnergyHealthPopSci Eco TourTechnologyMilitaryAviationSpaceRobotsEngineeringDIYProjectsHacksToolsAuto DIYMore From Our Partner: Toolmonger GalleriesVideosColumnsThe GrouseSex FilesGreen Dream Innovation ChallengesHow It WorksFeatures Tweet Digg Update: Iran Tried and Failed to Launch a Monkey Into Space Last Month By Clay Dillow Posted 10.13.2011 at 11:05 am 12 Comments
Ham, America's Astrochimp Ham never backed down from a challenge. NASA

This morning, PopSci’s dedicated “space monkey” news feed lit up with some distressing news: When Iran indefinitely suspended its plans to launch a monkey into space earlier this month, it was actually because they had already tried and failed. Iranian Deputy Science Minister Mohammad Mehdinejad-Nouri told state media that the Kavoshgar-5 rocket carrying a capsule with a live monkey launched during Shahrivar, which is the Iranian month spanning August 23 to September 22, but the launch was not publicized because it did not accomplish all of its mission objectives. Assuming one of the objectives was to safely carry the monkey to space and back, things don’t sound good for the monkey.

Previous Article: The Techno-Culinary Trickeries of Andoni Luis AdurizNext Article: Blackberry Service Finally Restored on All Planets 12 Comments Link to this comment Grunt 10/13/11 at 11:19 am

My prayers go out to the astronaut and it family! I hope if something bad happen to the monkey, it did not suffer.

Link to this comment CodeZero 10/13/11 at 11:26 am

Sadly, many animals have died since the first attempts as space flight. Not sure why they didn't use a crash dummy or some other non-living analogy rather than a monkey or other living creature, I understand that back in the hayday of space travel, the tech just wasn't around, now, there is really no excuse (aside from being cheap) that one would use a living creature as a test pilot.

Playing Devil's Advocate since 1978

"The only constant in the universe is change"
-Heraclitus of Ephesus 535 BC - 475 BC

Link to this comment I4Future 10/13/11 at 11:34 am

@CodeZero I was thinking the same thing. There is really no need for the monkey. I don't even think they would need a test dummy of any kind. Just throw a hand full of accelerometers and be done with it. poor lil monkey

Link to this comment seatellite 10/13/11 at 11:59 am

@CodeZero, @I4Future:

You're talking about scientists that operate comparably to us in 1965. I'm not surprised, just sad for the poor monkey.

~S

Link to this comment pheonix1012 10/13/11 at 12:31 pm

The ape (or monkey if they went there) probably died as a result of the rocket either being to powerful to be rated for living beings, or their was a failure in life support.

I4Future is right. Accelerometers could have measured flight characterstics of the rocket upon ascension, and special sensors that can monitor life support systems such as pressurization, heating, and air supply could have been used to indicate operational functionality or failure. These are the items technological advancement have given us. They didn't need to harm that animal like that.

Of course if the Iranian govermnent doesn't have the money to afford such specialized devices necessary to conduct safe aerospace R&D, they should do like the Chinese and push to do it when they have the funds to put towards certain endeavors. Of course that's a whole mess of issues in play that will continue to have an effect on their future aerospace plans.

Link to this comment ptv83 10/13/11 at 12:32 pm

Iran is in a different place in the world and a different time... Morally, Technologically, Everything-ly

a Monkey into space is a "great" achievement for a medieval civilization... plus it's "cooler" than a cosmic ray sensor and g-meter.. half the country doesn't know what those are.. but they know that the US and USSR put animals up there,,, so a monkey unchained & pulled from a corner whore house, stripped of it's make-up, dress swapped for diaper and flightsuit... well that's gonna get the uneducated behind the government that caused the time warp you feel when you travel across the boarder into iran.

Space and nuclear ambitions from a country that would be taxed to build any better than an average WWII fighter plane designed in the 1930's.

cheers, eh

Link to this comment pheonix1012 10/13/11 at 3:35 pm

@ptv83

Ssssshhhhh!

Aldron's Last Hope might be listening.

Link to this comment GMarsack 10/13/11 at 3:41 pm

Iran Craigslist ad: "For sale: not-so-gently used monkey"

Link to this comment Q 10/13/11 at 6:35 pm

Iran is a dictatorship, tyrant society with a closed mind of never doing wrong. They do not care about the monkey and think if anyone in their own society is against them, they just soon put them in the rocket too.

Link to this comment vonjoballs 10/13/11 at 8:30 pm

when monkeys try to send monkeys into space they are bound to fail unless they send monkeys into space with bananas...iranians who are supposed to be persians are now as stupid as any arab...call it cultural contagion!

Link to this comment jesusyork 10/14/11 at 4:48 am

My best friend’s mom makes $77 an hour on the computer. She has been out of job for 9 months but last month her check was $7487 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read about it here NuttyRich dot com

Link to this comment Aldrons Last Hope 10/14/11 at 1:45 pm

@phoenix1012 last time we chatted you learned that Al-Queda was made by the U.S…you admitted it.

Also the Taliban was U.S backed and only came to power because of the C.I.A.

Also “militant Islam “ was an invention of the C.I.A as well. I proved that to you as well..but you went on about the bzantine emipre?? LOL. Okay I counter with the crusades…what’s more barbaric that the torture the world had to endure at the hands of those “Christian” missionaries. Do you have any idead how murderous the catholic church is? Makes Islam look like Disney.

@ptv83 I work with Iranians and an educated Iranian is smarter than the average fat, lazy, american. I promise you that. If you think it’s a medivial country, then what threat are they to the rest of us that live in the 21st century?

Also why are people worried about a monkey? Do you worry about all the cows, chickens and pigs you slaughter? For your McHearattacks?

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