Was Iran's monkey in space launch faked? Before and after pictures of space-travelling simian appear to show different animals The veracity of Iran’s triumphant claims to have launched a monkey into space has been called into question by before and after pictures of the simian space-traveller that appear to show two different animals. The launch earlier this week was hailed by the Iranian media as the moment the country joined the international dash into space, and as a rare technological triumph. Foreign observers interpreted the launch as political 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 Kavosrocket capsule named Pism (Pioneer). Ahmad Vahidi, the Iranian defence minister said of the launch: "This success is the first step towards man conquering the space and it paves the way for other moves", but added that the process of putting a human into space would be a lengthy one. He also reassured anyone concerned about the monkey’s well-being that it made it back to earth unharmed saying: "The monkey which was sent in this launch landed safely and alive and this is a big step for our experts and scientists." However, Iran's achievement is now being brought into question after experts and novices alike doubted 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 strikingly 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 space-travelling monkey 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. Was Iran's monkey in space launch faked? Before and after pictures of space-travelling simian appear to show different animals - Middle East - World - The Independent
We can track a launch from below ground level, do they really think we didn't follow it's progress? For all we know, it could have been aimed at the USA. They will have watched the flight, and most likely have pics taken in fight. For that matter, we track asteroids, I think we would notice a capsule.
The assets used to track asteroids, are NOT the same, as the one used to monitor Ballistic Missile launches. The latter is done with Space Based Optics, looking for Boosted Rocket Blooms, by SATs that cover the whole earth's surface 24/7/365, and are realtime downlinked to US Space Command under the Mountain in Colorado. Asteroids are tracked by Earth bound Optics, looking UP at the Sky, and doing nightly comparisons, of images, over a period of days, to see what is moving, against the background of our Universe, which moves very slowly, from our prospective. .....
I'm just saying, we keep a pretty close watch on the skies, day and night. Astronomers, and military. We don't miss much coming in, when it hits atmosphere, no telescopes are even needed. It would have been noticed, especially since it just went up, it would have been watched carefully.
The Iranians' claims are interesting, but I find the Marx Brothers' Monkey Business much more entertaining.... Oh...and by the way...I didn't think Roddy McDowell was still alive???
Hey, give the Iranian propaganda minister a break. It's gonna be tough to convince one of their Astronuts to climb aboard a giant dildo if they know the last monkey got royally screwed when it was sent vertical. It's not like WE have to believe 'em anyway. Mostly for internal Iranian Pride.
