Soviets Put 2 Monkeys in Orbit for Life Study
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MOSCOW — The Soviet Union launched two monkeys into orbit for two weeks to enable scientists to study the effects of zero gravity and space radiation on animal life, the official Tass news agency reported.
Tass said the experiment is part of a program organized by scientists from the United States, Canada, France, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and the European Space Agency.
In October, 1987, one of two monkeys that the Soviets launched into orbit broke free and amused television viewers with his antics. The mission was almost aborted when scientists learned he had blocked his food tube.
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