Independent, 01 February 201 – It was hailed by the Iranian media as the moment the country joined the international dash into space, and a rare technological triumph.
Foreign observers interpreted the launch this week of a monkey into space as theatre designed to showcase Iran’s scientific progress despite economic sanctions imposed by the West.
Iranian media claimed that the country’s space agency had sent the monkey 75 miles (120 km) above the Earth in a Kavoshgar rocket capsule named Pishgam (Pioneer).
Unconfirmed reports then claimed that the monkey had survived the experience and that the capsule returned to earth intact.
However, Iran’s triumph is now under question after experts and novices alike are questioning whether the launch actually took place, and whether the monkey survived.
Before and after images of the monkey would appear at first sight to show different animals. In the before images, the animal appears to have a large red birthmark over his right eye – which on arrival back on earth appears to have disappeared.
Observers have also pointed out that while photographs and video of the launch of the rocket have been widely distributed, there has been no photographic or other evidence proving that the rocket made it back.
The seeming inconsistency between the two images of the simian space-traveller combined with the lack of evidence documenting the return of the rocket to earth has caused some to question if the launch took place, or indeed that if it did take place the monkey did not survive.