Space monkeys roar back to earth in Sochi
Published 12 April, 2008, 09:43
Human space exploration may not have been successful without the crucial input of other living creatures. Before man risked venturing into the hostile environment of space, Laika the dog orbited the Earth, and a whole lot of animals were used in a variety of space experiments.
Twenty-year-old Krosh is one of 3,000 monkeys living in the Sochi Primate Research Institute. He is a retired cosmonaut.
For decades, local scientists were working on the Bion – a top secret Soviet research programme for testing life support mechanisms in space.
The monkeys were put in a special capsule and sent into space on Soyuz rockets.
Their primary task was to eat and drink from special pipes on command from the Earth.
The Bion programme was stopped ten years ago, though scientists say all they need to resume the space experiments is the go-ahead from the government.
