Iran Plans Manned Mission to Space

Iran wants to send a manned rocket into space in the next 10 years. Iran's space agency said the exact date would be announced sometime this year.

Iran wants to send a manned rocket into space in the next 10 years. Iran's space agency said the exact date would be announced sometime this year.

Iran's announcement of sending a man into space comes days after the country announced it had fired a test satellite into orbit. The move confirms its ambition to develop a space and satellite program.

The two-stage rocket was launched on Sunday. Iranian officials said the test released equipment that beamed flight data back to ground control.

U.S. officials said the rocket fell short of its claimed success.

Iran has a growing determination to put its own satellites into orbit. The country wants to monitor natural disasters and improve telecommunications. Iran is also hoping to launch communication satellites for other Muslim countries.

The mission for an Iranian manned space flight is even more ambitious. Only the United States, Russia and China having successfully launched such missions.

Japan and India have also announced they will launch their own manned mission into space.