It does make you wonder about some of the scientific experiments undertaken these days. How will mankind benefit in the future from this one?!
BBC News 5 Days ago:
Russia loses control of gecko sex experiment satellite
A Russian satellite containing geckos, fruit flies and mushrooms could plummet to earth if control is not regained, according to reports.
The engine of the Foton-M4 satellite, with several experiments on board, has stopped responding to ground control.
All other systems are intact, the Progress space centre stated, including “one-way” transmission of information.
The five geckos are in space for a study of the effect of weightlessness on their sex lives and development.
The Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, said the six tonne satellite could continue to operate on its own “for a long time”.
The two-month experiment involving the geckos included video-cameras and was a “study of the effect of microgravity on sexual behaviour, the body of adult animals and embryonic development” according to the IMBP website.
The lizard sex investigation was among several planned experiments, including other biological studies of plant seeds and Drosophila fruit flies.
I laughed so hard I nearly choked on my morning tea when I read this, and then of course followed various pictures in my mind of geckos trying to mate in weightlessness! This was the result!
Weightlessness and sex didn’t work very well especially after consuming large quantities of mushrooms and fruit flies!
Very good news on the BBC this morning however. The Russians are back in control of the satellite!
And the geckos are mighty relieved – but they said they’re sick to death of fruit flies!