Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Russia’s biosatellite will house 75 mice for month-long stay in space.
Image credit: Roscosmos

Russia is preparing to loft a “miniature mouse hotel” into space.

The Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite is being readied for liftoff on August 20, placed into a pole-to-pole orbit. Onboard are 75 mice and other specimens to be exposed to 30 days of radiation before a parachute return to Russia.

Technicians work on the Bion-M No. 2 mission.
Image credit: Roscosmos

Lobbed spaceward atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome the biosatellite is also being dubbed a “Noah’s Ark” loaded with the mice, more than 1,000 fruit flies, cell cultures, microorganisms and plant seeds.

Go to my new Space.com story – “Russia to launch 75 mice, 1,000 fruit flies on Aug. 20 to study spaceflight effects” – at:

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/russia-to-launch-75-mice-1-000-fruit-flies-on-aug-20-to-study-spaceflight-effects