Iranian officials have claimed that on Dec. 14 a monkey called Fargam into space and then successfully brought the primate back, boosting the country's faith in their space program and putting them one step closer to putting a man in orbit.

Fargam's rocket ride lasted only 15 minutes, but in that time the intrepid space explorer traveled 74.5 miles above the Earth. The rocket ship was a liquid fueled rocket, and scientists on the ground were able to control it as well as monitor the health of Fargam according to a report from the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported on by Space.com. This is actually the second time a monkey was sent into space by Iran, as the country claimed to have done the same thing with a different monkey on Jan. 28. However, several western news agencies did not believe that the first launch was successful, due to a different monkeys being shown before and after the launch. A failed attempt at the experiment occurred in 2011.

Iran President Hassan Rouhani was apparently excited by the news, according to an official statement released following the experiment:

"President Rouhani appreciated the Iranian scholars for dispatch of the second monkey named 'Fargam' into space and its successful return. The President also congratulated the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Iranian nation on the significant achievement. He wished further success for the Iranian experts."

The world leader also announced the news on his official Twitter account.

From here, Iran is exploring their options at what sort of creature will be their next astronaut. According to a previous report Iranian space official Mohammad Ebrahimi stated that a Persian cat could be the next animal chosen for space flight, and the country could send the iconic feline into orbit as early as March 2014.

While some may not consider Iran a major player in space flight, the country has made some significant leaps and bounds when it comes to space travel. The country sent its very first satellite into orbit in 2009, and since then two separate Earth observing spacecraft have also gone into orbit in 2011 and 2012. The country has a goal of completing their first manned space flight in 2018.
Look out for more news on Iran's space program and if the country really follows through in sending a cat into space as the projected March 2014 launch date for the test draws closer.