Iran plans manned space mission in 10 years

Tehran (Reuters) Iran plans to send a manned rocket into space in the next 10 years, state television said yesterday, just days after the Islamic Republic announced it had put a dummy satellite into orbit.

Embroiled in a standoff with the West over its nuclear ambitions, Iran said on Sunday it had put a dummy satellite into orbit on a home-grown rocket for the first time.

US security officials said Tehran's attempted satellite launch was a failure that fell short of claimed successes, but an analyst said the test marked a technical advance for Iran.

The long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into space can also be used for launching weapons. Iran says it has no such intention.

"One of the aims of Iran's 10-year space programme is to send a manned rocket into space," state television quoted Reza Taghipour, the head of Iran's aerospace organisation, as saying.

"Within in the next six months to one year, the exact date of this mission will be determined," he added.

Taghipour said Iran would cooperate with Islamic countries in building a satellite that television said would be called, Besharat, meaning 'good news'. He also said Iran was working with Russia and other Asian states to launch another satellite.