03-02-10 Iran begins to build two new typs of rockets

Iran announced Wednesday it has successfully launched a three-metre-long research rocket carrying a mouse,two turtles and worms into space — a feat President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said showed Iran could defeat the West in the battle of technology.The launch of the Kavoshgar-3,which means Explorer-3 in Farsi,was announced by Defence Minister Gen.Ahmad Vahidi as part of Iran's ambitious space program.It comes a year after Iran sent its first domestically made telecommunications satellite into orbit.The program has worried Western powers that fear the same technology used to launch satellites and research capsules could also deliver warheads.Iranian state television broadcast images Wednesday of officials putting a mouse,two turtles and about a dozen creatures that looked like worms inside a capsule in the rocket before it blasted off.Vahidi gave no details on the research and the report did not disclose when or where the launch took place.The rocket is the third in a series bearing the same name.Iran reported launching Kavoshgar-1,or Explorer-1,in February 2008.The first section of the rocket detached after 90 seconds and returned to earth with the help of a parachute.A second segment entered space for about five minutes,while the final stage was sent toward orbit to collect data.