Speaking late Sunday, Russian space officials announced the return of a number of creatures from space, saying most died during their time in space.
Russian television stations showed the Bion-M capsule returning to Earth carrying 45 mice, 15 newts, snails, lizards, plants, microflora, and eight gerbils. The experiment, aimed at testing the effects of weightlessness and other effects of spaceflight on cell structure, left nearly all of the creatures dead.
According to early reports, a majority of the mice and newts failed to survive, while all of the gerbils perished. Russian officials say most of the dead creatures died due to stresses incurred during an equipment failure. The surviving creatures were taken to a nearby lab for testing.
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Russia retrieves mice, lizards from space in preparation for Mars mission ? all are dead | The Space Reporter
Russian television stations showed the Bion-M capsule returning to Earth carrying 45 mice, 15 newts, snails, lizards, plants, microflora, and eight gerbils. The experiment, aimed at testing the effects of weightlessness and other effects of spaceflight on cell structure, left nearly all of the creatures dead.
According to early reports, a majority of the mice and newts failed to survive, while all of the gerbils perished. Russian officials say most of the dead creatures died due to stresses incurred during an equipment failure. The surviving creatures were taken to a nearby lab for testing.
...
Russia retrieves mice, lizards from space in preparation for Mars mission ? all are dead | The Space Reporter
