from the to-boldly-go-where-geckos-had-not-gone-before dept.
For three days in late July, our eyes collectively turned skyward. We, as a species, sat helpless, united in hope that a satellite full of geckos tasked with a month-long sex romp would be safely returned to orbit—and indeed to Earth—after the Russian space ministry lost control of it. Eventually, Roscosmos regained control of the satellite, and today Foton-M4 touched down in Orenberg, Southern Russia, to worldwide jubilation.
It is thus, with heavy hearts, we report that all five of the Geckos on-board died, according to the Russian space agency. The sad news was confirmed by Roscosmos ( https://twitter.com/mattb0401/status/506451596151382018 ) to the Moscow Times as they prepared a joint statement with the ominously named Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems.
These geckos died in the cause of science, for the greater good, etc. A toast to these pioneering geckos! Four generations of Drosophila flies, microorganisms and plants were also sent into space. Update 16:56 BST: The flies survived and reproduced!
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-09/01/rip-space-sex-geckos
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 02 2014, @04:54PM
SCNR.
Of course we actually do need to know which species will be able to reproduce in space. Sooner or later we're gonna step outside our cradle.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 02 2014, @05:11PM
This obviously is government lies. Everybody knows the sky is full of Reptilians! [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2, Funny) by deimios on Tuesday September 02 2014, @04:59PM
Of course the flies survived! We can't get rid of them planetside, you think some paltry spaceflight will stop them?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday September 02 2014, @05:30PM
Personally, I had little doubt that most or all species can procreate in weightlessness and/or microgravity. But - it appears that the flies are the first little critters to prove that earth creatures CAN reproduce. Now, it is proven that eggs can be impregnated in microgravity. It remains to be proven whether more complex life forms can do the same. I'm sure they can - or WE can - perform that feat, but it remains unproven.
If/when it is proven that it is possible, then we'll be faced with establishing how fertility rates are affected in varying microgravities. Does it work in complete weightlessness? Are there any affects on the embryo? How does the infant mature? Are the older juveniles healthy? Are they capable of entering earth gravity and adapting? So many questions - and we haven't even considered the possibility of increased exposure to radiation!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Blackmoore on Tuesday September 02 2014, @06:01PM
what strange mutation will occur?
and what terror will they unleash upon mankind?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday September 02 2014, @06:56PM
I'm not to worried about any terrors. We're pretty terrible ourselves. After I posted above, I read that ISIS has beheaded another reporter. What can mutants do to us, that we don't do to ourselves?
(Score: 2) by Blackmoore on Tuesday September 02 2014, @07:17PM
(Score: 1) by ld a, b on Tuesday September 02 2014, @10:37PM
You mean we didn't do this before?
What the hell are they doing in the ISS?
A long term experiment with fruit flies would be pretty high on my list. Who knows what cool 0g flight adaptations they'd develop.
Well, I guess catching floating juice bubbles with your mouth is higher on our priority list as species.
10 little-endian boys went out to dine, a big-endian carp ate one, and then there were -246.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday September 02 2014, @05:59PM
"Those poor buggers ..." http://mrwgifs.com/geico-gecko-cringe-facepalm-reaction-gif/ [mrwgifs.com]
(Score: 2) by Tork on Tuesday September 02 2014, @06:23PM
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