Azernews.Az

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that despite the obvious risks, he looks at himself as a possible person who could fly to outer space, Trend news agency reported referring to ISNA agency.

"I am sure we will be able to send a human into space in 4-5 years," he said. "Despite risks, I am ready to be the first one to go."

Further on, Ahmadinejad spoke of the progress that Iran has achieved in scientific fields in recent years, and said that despite the effect of international sanctions, this progress has continued.

"Some nations say Iran is in very bad situation, but despite everything, we are progressing," Ahmadinejad said.

On Jan. 28, Iran successfully launched a Kavoshgar-4 missile with a space capsule Pisgham, with a monkey on board, into space.

The launch was successful, as reaching certain speed, the satellite returned back to Earth.

The on-board computer recorded environmental, biological data, as well as images on all phases of the launch.

Previously, Iran has launched a rat, two turtles and a worm on its Kavoshgar-3 rocket in February 2010.

In 2009, the Iranian space agency launched a telecommunications satellite onboard its Safir-2 rocket.

The new space capsule and the Kavoshgar-4 rocket were both unveiled by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in early February 2011.

Iran has said it aims to launch a human into space by 2020, and to put an astronaut on the moon by 2025.

The Islamic republic denies military motives for its space program, but Western nations fear that Iran is moving toward developing a ballistic missile capable of deploying a nuclear warhead.