A small, gray monkey strapped into a purple harness resembling a car seat traveled to space in an Iranian rocket, which reached an altitude of 72 miles before returning back to earth, defense ministry officials said Monday.

The monkey's orbit is part of an ambitious Iranian space plan that includes a new space center, and his safe return marks a successful step toward Tehran's goal of manned space flight. The mission touched on swirling concerns for the U.S. and its allies that technology from Iran's space program could also be used to develop long-range weapons that could one day be used to carry nuclear warheads, according to the San Francisco Gate. 

The Associated Press reported that launching a live animal into space might boost a country's stature and reputation, as it did with the U.S. and Soviet Union more than a half-century ago.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. could not successfully confirm the monkey's voyage, but that the department was concerned by the news because "any space launch vehicle capable of placing an object in orbit is directly relevant to the development of long-range ballistic missiles."

The achievement was similar to launching a missile at about 3,000 mph and having its warhead survive the flight, reported the BBC.

Though this is not the first time Iran sent a live creature into space. The country sent a mouse, a turtle and some worms into orbit in 2010.

Iran says it wants to become a technological leader for the Islamic world and hopes its ambitious aerospace program leads the way.

After the first 2010 launch of living creatures into space, the U.N. Security Council has forbidden Iran from pursuing "any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also announced in 2010 that the country hoped to send a man into space by 2019.

Read the full story here.

Reach Executive Producer Brianna Sacks here.