By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ready to go into space
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has declared he is prepared to risk his life and become the first human to be sent into space by his country’s fledgling space programme.
Iran declared last week it had successfully launched a monkey into space and retrieved it alive, which officials hailed as a major step towards their goal of sending humans into space.
The launch added to western concerns about Iran’s space programme because the same rocket technology could potentially be used to deliver a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile.
“I am ready to be the first human to be sent to space by Iranian scientists,” Ahmadinejad told a group of scientists in Tehran gathered to celebrate the country’s space achievements, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. Ahmadinejad was speaking at an event organised for the anniversary celebration of the 1979 Islamic revolution.
“Sending living things into space is the result of Iranian efforts and the dedication of thousands of Iranian scientists,” he said.
It was unclear if the suggestion was a serious one, but one group of Iranians declared they would do everything in their power to help Ahmadinejad achieve his goal.
Within minutes of the news breaking, a Facebook page was set up called “In support of sending Ahmadinejad into space”. (Source: The Guardian)