Earlier this week, after years of trying, Iran told the world that it finally achieved one of its major goals and launched a monkey into orbit, paving the way for a manned flight.
The
However, Internet users have gone over the photos released by Iran's FARs news agency, and many believe that the monkey shown in photographs back on Earth is not the same monkey that went up to
As the Independent points out in this photo, the monkey that went to space (right) appears to have a large birthmark over its eye. The monkey that returned to Earth (left) has no birthmark in this place.
France24 also points out that images of the launch have been shown widely in Iranian state media, but images of the rockets return to Earth are conspicuously absent.
The U.S. government had expressed doubts about the monkey's voyage at the time.