A Russian satellite with five lizards on board is currently floating in space, beyond the control of the researchers who launched it.
The Photon-M4 is a research satellite that launched from the Baikinur Cosmodrome on 19 July with the intention of studying the effects of microgravity on plants, insects and gecko mating activities. Mission control lost the ability to control the satellite after it made its first few orbits around Earth.
Thankfully, the team from Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems is still receiving scientific data from the on-board experiments. "We receive the telemetry data from the spacecraft and analyse it.
The current tasks have so far been fulfilled," said the Institute's spokesman Oleg Voloshin to RIA Novosti.
The Photon-M4 is a robotic spacecraft used by Russia and the European Space Agency to carry out research in microgravity. Its launch and separation from the launch vehicle went smoothly, but after a few laps of Earth it stopped responding to mission control.
Despite the lack of control over the spacecraft, the geckos will soon start to reproduce -- one of the main mission objectives for the Photon-M satellite -- according to a spokesperson of the Institute.
"The telemetry information we receive [from the Foton-M] proves that geckos and fruit flies are alive, healthy and eat regularly.
The conditions in the bio capsule are quite comfortable and we assume that they will soon start to reproduce. After all, it was one of the main missions of the scientific program," a representative told Ria Novosti.
The Photon-M4 was designed as a virtual replica -- at least in appearance -- of the beleaguered Bion-M satellite, which launched in April 2013.
On board were 45 mice, 8 gerbils, 15 newts, as well as snails, crayfish and plants, all of which were supposed to be used to understand how living creatures could cope with extended time in space. Sadly within 30 days the majority of the furry crew perished, although reportedly all of the newts survived.
Updated 28/07/2014: Russia has regained control of Photon-M4, meaning our reptilian friends won't be colonising another planet any time soon.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
