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Chinese scientists plan monkey reproduction experiment in space station
- Whether monkeys will cooperate is uncertain, says Shanghai scientist who has used them in experiments
- Space station’s Wentian module has two biological test cabinets that are expandable and reconfigurable
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Stephen Chenin Beijing
Chinese astronauts on the country’s new space station will perform a reproductive experiment using monkeys, according to a scientist involved in the project.
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Zhang Lu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing who is leading the development of supporting equipment for scientific studies on China’s Tiangong space station, said the experiment would be conducted in Wentian, the space station’s largest module, which is mainly used for experiments in life sciences.
The module’s two biological test cabinets currently have only enough room for algae, fish or snails, but they are expandable and reconfigurable.
After studying smaller creatures, “some studies involving mice and macaques will be carried out to see how they grow or even reproduce in space”, Zhang said in a speech posted on social media by the academy on Monday.
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China launches Mengtian, final module to complete Tiangong space station
China launches Mengtian, final module to complete Tiangong space station
“These experiments will help improve our understanding of an organism’s adaptation to microgravity and other space environments.”
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