Bion 7

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An unmanned bion satellite.

Pleurodeles waltl, the species of newt which orbited the Earth on Bion 7

Bion 7 (Cosmos 1667) was a biomedical research mission satellite involving scientists from nine countries. It was part of the Bion program.

It carried two Rhesus monkeys named Gordyy and Oomka, ten male rats, and ten newts. The monkey research focused on vestibular and blood flow investigations as well as radiation effects. The newts had part of their front limbs amputated and their crystalline lenses removed to study the possible rate of human recovery from injuries incurred in space. A biocalorimeter monitored energy exchange during the emergence of flies from nymphs; 1500 drosophila flies were carried for this purpose. The payload also included maize seeds, crocuses, and guppies in an aquarium. The mission was recovered after seven days.