Iran sends rocket, capsule into space

TEHERAN, Iran - Iran on Thursday signaled a broadening of its space ambitions by announcing the launch of a new rocket and a test capsule designed to house a monkey, amid Western concerns over its scientific advances.

The Iranian Space Agency launched the Kavoshgar-4 rocket carrying the capsule without fanfare on March 15, the official IRNA news agency said, citing the president's office.

Iran had announced it would conduct the launch before the end of Iranian year on March 21. The space capsule, unveiled by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in early February, is designed to carry a live monkey, but there were no living creatures on board, IRNA added.