April 28, 2008

Monkeys tested for Mars trip

It was Russia, who pioneered the use of animals in space way back in the early days of the space race, but this did not go down well with everyone, however those days have now gone or have they?

It would seem that the Sochi Institute of Medical Primatology are about to get involved again with the Russian space programme by preparing monkeys for testing equipment for the planned trips to Mars and beyond.

The institute claims that because monkeys and humans are closely related it makes sense for them to be used before they send humans up into deep space. Around forty have been chosen these will be sent to the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow.

It is believed that it will be monkeys to reach the plant first Mars first, but could this mean that they will colonise the planet for themselves?

Source [BBC News]