Bion-M spacecraft blasted off into space with mice, lizards and live snails

“Bion-M”, spacecraft consisting

The French Space Studies Center (CNES) with the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow (IMBP) conducted this morning off a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, loaded with mice, lizards and snails living space orbit who will travel for a month.

The launch took place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and was called by Russian state television Vesti as a “true Noah’s Ark”. On this ship, called Bion-M traveled on board 45 mice, eight rodents from Mongolia, 15 lizards, 20 snails and other living organisms.

The animals travel in separate compartments under surveillance and will remain in orbit, with a view to a possible visit to Mars. It is estimated to return to Earth on May 18 for scientists to study the consequences of staying in space. “Five of the mice are equipped with implantable sensors continuously measure blood pressure and heart rate before, during and after the flight,” the CNES.

Valéri Abrashkin, program director of the Russian Space Center, said that “it is the extent to which our body adapts to weightlessness conditions and understand what needs to be done to ensure the survival of very long flights.”