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Subscribe to RSSTEHRAN, Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that he's ready to take the risk of being the first Iranian astronaut sent into space as part of Iran's goal of a manned space flight.
"I'm ready to be the first Iranian to sacrifice myself for our country's scientists," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying in an address to space scientists in Tehran.
Space tourist Anousheh Ansari was the first Iranian to make a journey into space, aboard a Soyuz TMA-9 capsule from Baikonur, Kazakhastan, in September 2006.
The 40-year-old telecommunications entrepreneur paid a reported $20 million for a space station visit. Her journey became an inspiration to women in male-dominated Iran.
Iran said it sent a monkey into space on Jan. 28, describing the launch as a successful step toward Tehran's plan to send an astronaut into space within the next five to six years.
The monkey named "Pishgam," which means "pioneer" in Farsi, reportedly traveled 72 miles and safely returned to Earth.
In 2010, Iran said it had launched an Explorer rocket into space carrying a mouse, a turtle and worms.
Iran's space officials say Iran will launch a bigger rocket carrying a larger animal to obtain greater safety assurances before sending a human into space.
Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Iran will soon send a satellite into space from its Imam Khomeini space center, which is still under construction.
The news agency didn't elaborate and did not disclose the location of the space center, but Iran already has a major satellite launch complex near Semnan, about 125 miles east of Tehran. A satellite monitoring facility is located outside Mahdasht, about 40 miles west of the Iranian capital.
Iran has said it wants to put its own satellites into orbit to monitor natural disasters in the earthquake-prone nation, improve telecommunications and expand military surveillance in the region.
Related:
McCain compares Iranian leader to monkey; draws GOP charge of racism
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Quick! someone make a joke about him already being sent to space! haha
Have ALWAYS thought he was a dumb ass. Go for it Mahmoud!
One small step for civility..let him explore a asteroid.
.. he should become an asstranaught and explore an assroids.
Lets strap him to a Tomahawk cruise missile and tell him its a spaceship.
I wouldn't trust him if he was circling Uranus.
Steve972
I wouldn't trust him circling my anus either.
I wouldn't even trust that clown around PLUTO.
They have already sent a tortoise, mouse, worm into space, so why not send that grub too ??
Hope he stays out there.
"Iran said it sent a monkey into space on Jan. 28,"
After monkey, tenth century desert Shiite President Islamic nut/beast, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the right choice.
He should take his boss of all bosses, Ayotallah Khomeni with him!
Before their brave sacrifices, they should go to some mountains, chain themselves and slash themselves to pieces for not fighting Sunnis' Allah well in Syria!
Just examine how these tenth century desert Shiites "brave batttlers of unarmed people, child and women, and other helpless" are fighting seventh century Islamic haters and killers, Sunnis in Syria.
Include Hezbollah among those hiding in women burkhas!
One can't imagine how cowards some of these Islamic nuts are!
SEND HIM!!!
Yes, send him with a one-way ticket past the space station.
Ciao,
not to be seen again.
before, send him and his whole gang into the Arabian sea!
Those remaining can go into space to some girls and women harems!
What a bunch of nuts and cowards, Shiites of Iraq, Iran, Hezbollah and other Muslim nations are!
They can't save Assad and have their own Shiite ruler in Bahrain!
he's already a space cadet.. so he's half way there.
Put him in orbit with no communications equipment, then let the orbit decay so he comes back down as a fireball. That way he'd look like a star for a few seconds.
You are planning too much for him and his gang!
This is an example how much tenth century desert megalomaniac Shiites can fantasize.
Most of the technologies these Muslim nations have are either purchased or stolen. Pakistan is the classical example.
As soon as Assad falls in Syrian, this Iranian Shiite Mohammed is going to sacrifice himself and slash himself to pieces.
Then his followers are going to throw pork pieces on him! Here brave Hezbollah will join in pork circus!
I thought they already sent that monkey into space.
The guy is just a little whack job. Put him into space and leave him there.
The one Iran sent to space earlier was Israeli foreign minister avigdoor, not a monkey. they just published a monkey picture because aavigddor was so ugly.
Ahmedinejad wanted to meet him in a secluded place. Now he can go there and meet him..
I would pay for his flight ...
One way ticket, that is.
Vivian, he most definitely out there. However, hurry up and send him there Iran (and forget how to get him back)!
send him up instead of the monkey. wait. he is a monkey just what they need. and they have to do something the U.S. done in the 60's that's funny. and i bet their new airplane works good to. its also funny how they have to re invent the wheel. and they come here to collage and they still cant do it.
Send him up there with a gay astronaut.
Send him up there with a boy scout leader!!!
He already IS a space cadet!
The Ayatollah khomeini would like nothing more than to send that nut case into space...when even Khomeini thinks you're too radical and crazy....
Hurry up!! Build that freakin' rocket before he changes his mind.
Call Mr. Netanyahu I'm sure he will be happy to help you :)
Well if its good enough for a monkey.....it must be good enough for this clown......
Let him join those ONE-WAY flights to Mars they're planning!
x
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a complete fool. He has now proven that to the entire world.
Maybe he can be Newt's first Moon colonist..
"I'm ready to be the first Iranian to sacrifice myself for our country's scientists,"
Please! Please!!
Ha Ha a women already beat you into space - take that!
They should tell him that the Mercury system was joked about by pilots. They called the astronauts Spam in a Can. Spam is pork.
If he goes into space how will he know where Mecca is when he prays?
"I'm ready to be the first Iranian to sacrifice myself for our country's
scientistsPeople so they may live in peace" That's what it should have read.I think he should travel to Uranus and wipe out the Klingons