On Tuesday, Director of Iran Aerospace Systems Research Center Mohammad Ebrahimi noted that the country has so far launched eight carriers into space and the last two had living creatures onboard.

He said more time will be needed to develop a more complex carrier capable of carrying human beings.

Ebrahimi further stated that Iran intends to take slow but scientific and logical steps in the field of aerospace, adding that Iranian scientists plan to cross the threshold of bio-space research in their next stride.

He added that planning and conceptual designing for the ninth Iranian-developed carrier is already underway.

On December 14, Iran sent a monkey into space and returned it to the Earth safely aboard an indigenous bio-capsule.

The explorer, dubbed Pajouhesh (Research), conducted its suborbital mission successfully in 15 minutes and came back with the animal safe and sound to make Iran closer to sending humans into space.

Iran launched its first indigenous satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009. The country also sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into the space in February 2010, using the indigenous Kavoshgar-3 (Explorer-3) carrier.

The country is one of the 24 founding members of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which was set up in 1959.

SHI/SHI