Chinese scientists are reportedly planning to send monkeys to its new Tiangong space station for experiments that will involve the animals mating and potentially reproducing, the South China Morning Post reports.
It's a fascinating and potentially controversial experiment that could have major implications for our efforts to colonize space: can mammals, let alone humans, successfully reproduce beyond the Earth?
According to the report, the experiment would take place in the station's largest capsule, called Wentian, inside two biological test cabinets that can be expanded.
After examining the behavior of smaller creatures, "some studies involving mice and macaques will be carried out to see how they grow or even reproduce in space," Zhang Lu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, said during a speech posted to social media earlier this week, as quoted by the SCMP.
"These experiments will help improve our understanding of an organism’s adaptation to microgravity and other space environments," he added.
Some simpler organisms, including nematodes and Japanese rice fish, have been observed reproducing in space.
But more complex life forms have struggled. In 2014, a Russian experiment to see whether geckos could produce offspring in space failed when all the critters died.
And the failure rate for mammals, so far, has been total. Soviet Union scientists got mice to mate during a space flight in 1979, but none of them gave birth after being returned to Earth.
In other words, getting monkeys to reproduce on board a space station will be anything but easy. For one, just dealing with living creatures in space can pose immense challenges. The astronauts will "need to feed them and deal with the waste," Kehkooi Kee, a professor with the school of medicine at Tsinghua University, told the SCMP.
Then there's the fact that astronauts will have to keep the macaques happy and comfortable, something that experts say will be challenging since long term confinement in the spartan environments of space habitats could cause immense stress for the simians.
And even if astronauts successfully set the mood for the monkeys, the physics of sex in space are predicted to be challenging.
"Firstly, just staying in close contact with each other under zero gravity is hard," Adam Watkins, an associate professor of reproductive physiology at University of Nottingham, wrote in a 2020 open letter highlighted by the SCMP. "Secondly, as astronauts experience lower blood pressure while in space, maintaining erections and arousal are more problematic than here on Earth."
With its new space station in nearly full operation, China isn't shying away from asking some big questions — but whether these experiments will play out as expected is anything but certain.
READ MORE: Chinese scientists plan monkey reproduction experiment in space station [South China Morning Post]
More on sex in space: Scientists Say We Really Have to Talk About Boning in Space
The post China Plans to Send Monkeys to Space Station to Have Sex With Each Other appeared first on Futurism.
Read more:
China Plans to Send Monkeys to Space Station to Have Sex With Each Other
- Book Excerpt: One Song [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2009]
- Book Review: The Mitten Tree [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2009]
- Book Review: The Monkey with a Bright Blue Bottom [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2009]
- Book Review: Mama, Will It Snow Tonight? [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2009]
- Book Review: There's No Such Thing as Monsters! [Last Updated On: November 7th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 7th, 2009]
- DVD Feature Film Review: Perestroika [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- DVD Feature Film Review: Nothing Like the Holidays [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Spiritual Literacy Blog: Must We Have Bad Music in Public Spaces? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Angels and Dragons [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: A Soul's Journey [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Review: A Book of Hours [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: A Book of Hours [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: Storm [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: Skin [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: The Anger Diet [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Newsletter: October 31, 2009: The Abbot Who Declared The Hall Is Finished [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Suffering and the Courage of God [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Life-Changing Affirmations [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- DVD Feature Film Review: The Answer Man [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- DVD Feature Film Review: The Dead [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Five Voices, Five Faiths [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- DVD Feature Film Review: Lemon Tree (Etz Limon) [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- DVD Documentary Film Review: Unmistaken Child [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- DVD Documentary Film Review: Food, Inc. [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: The Workplace Revolution [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Journeys of Courage [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: The Men Who Stare at Goats [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: The Gift of Prayer [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: That Evening Sun [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: The Box [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Relax and Melt into a deep deep meditative state. [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Symptoms of Anxiety [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Nonduality And Spirituality---Enlightenment [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- How Not to Stop Anxiety Attacks---Part 1 [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Natural Treatment for Anxiety disorders--Antidote anxiety [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- What to do When Anxiety Attacks--Antidote Anxiety [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Spiritually charged metaphysical spiritual quote [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Release Technique & Non Duality& Law of attraction [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- NonDuality & Manifestation [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- All Is One, One is All !! [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Worrying about Anxiety---Antidote Anxiety [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Free course on Conquering Anxiety [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Manifesting Prosperity,Love manifesting,Dream Manifesting [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Stress and Anxiety Relief Treatment [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Stress and Anxiety Reduction with Brainwave entrainment [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- How to Remove feeling of Fear and Anxiety [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Relieve Stress:Financial Troubles, Low Self Esteem [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Meditation, Enlightenment & Paradox [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- False beliefs and Emotional Healing to develop emotional intelligence [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Millionaire Mind- Meditations Manifesting Abundance [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Three Essential requirements to learn Self Hypnosis Quickly [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Non duality and manifestation--Law of attraction [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Law of Attraction-- Manifesting Wealth Beyond Reason [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Secret Busted--- Flaws of the Secret. [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Web of Silence [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2009]
- Living Spiritual Teachers Project: Byron Katie [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: Before Tomorrow [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Sadhu Sundar Singh [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Spiritual Literacy Blog: We May Be Born with an Urge to Help [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: Everybody's Fine [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: Brothers [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: Gigante [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: When People Grieve [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: The Last Station [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Feature Film Review: Up in the Air [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Learning to Pray [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Beyond Absence [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Ecology & Liberation [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Feature: The Best Spiritual Books of 2009 (So Far) [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- DVD Feature Film Review: Julie & Julia [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- DVD Documentary Film Review: The Cove [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- DVD Feature Film Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Review: Spirit of Service [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Spirit of Service [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Review: The Wolf at Twilight [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: The Wolf at Twilight [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Review: Memories of Muhammad [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Memories of Muhammad [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Book Excerpt: Humility Matters for Practicing The Spiritual Life [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]