Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Credit: Roscosmos
On August 20, 2025, 75 mice and over 1,000 fruit flies will blast into orbit aboard Bion-M No. 2—a high-tech Noah’s Ark hurtling through space to decode the risks of cosmic radiation.
Credit: Roscosmos
Split into three groups—Earth, simulated Earth, and orbit—these mice will offer a rare biological control test for spaceflight. The aim? Pinpoint how zero gravity and radiation reshape life.
Radiation exposure in Bion-M No. 2 is no accident. The orbit was chosen to maximize cosmic hits—multiplying exposure by ten times—creating a worst-case lab for future Mars-bound missions.
Some mice are wired. Implanted chips, onboard cameras, and sensors will track their every biological shift—building a real-time map of how mammalian systems endure space.
The spacecraft also carries lunar simulants—moonlike rocks and dust—designed to show how extraterrestrial building materials weather harsh space radiation and vacuum. It’s R&D for moon bases.
Credit: Roscosmos
Why flies? Their genes are mapped, their life cycles short, and their stress responses fast. Together with mice, they give scientists a two-tier lens into how complex life breaks—or adapts—in orbit.
This is Russia’s first Bion-M mission in over a decade. With geopolitical tensions high, it’s a scientific flex meant to show continued dominance in bio-space research.
This mission targets a fundamental question in space medicine: How exactly does high-energy radiation attack living cells? The answer could shape space suits, habitats, and mission timelines.
The real magic begins after splashdown. Scientists will dissect every detail—from organ decay to stress hormones—to understand not just survival, but re-adaptation back on Earth.