Iran to send astronaut into space

IRAN: Iran has kicked off a 12-year project to send an astronaut into space, just days after putting its first home-built satellite into orbit, Iran's English-language satellite news channel Press TV reported on Thursday.

"The program's preliminary needs, assessments and feasibility studies have been carried out," head of the Iranian Aerospace Organization Reza Taqipour said on Wednesday.

The Aerospace Organization had drawn up a comprehensive plan for the project and various academic and research institutions must play to carry out a successful space mission by 2021, he said.

TEHRAN, Friday, Xinhua