Bion 6

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The "Animal restraint couch" used on Bion 6

Bion 6 (Cosmos 1514) was a biomedical spaceflight research mission that was launched on December 12, 1983. It was part of the Bion satellite program. Two Rhesus monkeys were flown into orbit implanted with sensors to permit monitoring of carotid artery blood flow. Eighteen pregnant white rats were used for studies of the effects of microgravity and radiation. The rats subsequently produced normal litters. The mission ended after five days.

This was the first time the Soviet space agency flew monkeys in space [1], coming 34 years after the U.S. first put a monkey into space (and 22 years after the Soviet Union started putting humans into space).