Iran Celebrates Successful Test Launch of Long-Range Rocket

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hailed the successful launch of a long-range missile in Iran on Wednesday, a move likely to stoke Western concerns about the country's nuclear ambitions, the Agence France-Presse reports. The launch was shown on state television, followed by a speech by Ahmadinejad, who said Iran hopes to send its own astronauts into space in the future.

The state television channel's Web site said the rocket was carrying live animals -- a rat, turtles, and worms. Video footage showed it blasting off from the bed of a truck, and later showed the satellite separating and entering orbit. "It is a great job that living organisms can be sent into space, we do experiments on them and they return to earth," Ahmadinejad said.

The satellite was launched as part of "Space Technology Day," one of many celebrations marking the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran. The government unveiled prototypes for three additional rockets with even greater long-range capabilities. Its first successful rocket launch came last year on the 30th anniversary of the revolution.

While Western nations have watched the development of aerial technology in Iran with suspicion and concern, Tehran denies that its space program and nuclear activities have any militaristic motivation.