Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

geckos image via Shutterstock

Sex geckos freeze to death after being sent to space by Russia

Their fruit fly companions survived, however, and successfully did the dirty up in space.

FIVE GECKOS SENT into orbit to test the effect of weightlessness on the small lizards’ sex lives have all died, the Russian space agency said today.

The Foton-M4 satellite on which the ‘sex geckos’, as they have been affectionately referred to, spent the past month and a half returned to earth as planned today and the various species travelling aboard were removed.

“Unfortunately all the geckos died,” said the Roskosmos space agency in a brief statement.

Interfax news agency later quoted an expert that worked on the mission as saying “that according to preliminary data it is becoming clear that the geckos froze” after their heating system failed.

The fruit flies that were also travelling on the satellite, however, survived and had reproduced, Roskosmos said.

Roskosmos briefly lost control over the satellite following its launch, but was eventually able to restore contact and put the satellite in the proper orbit.

- © AFP 2014 with additional reporting by Michelle Hennessy.

Read: Asteroid hunting probe to travel four years to potato-shaped space rock>

Read: A NASA telescope has captured this picture of a black hole*>

Author
View 30 comments
Close
30 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dj
    Favourite Dj
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 9:54 PM

    Nothing says I love you more than a McFuneral.

    78
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Andi Black
    Favourite Andi Black
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 10:23 PM

    When someone dies, there are always people around, at the wake, funeral and burial, the believers, the non believers, the atheists, the humanists. ……….How many of you will visit the bereaved family months after their bereavement?
    This is the time they need your help and support.

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Kennedy
    Favourite John Kennedy
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 11:31 PM

    @Andi Black: bull shit
    The reason we are born is to die
    It’s about time people excepted death and stop being so mournful about it .

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Slim Browne
    Favourite Slim Browne
    Report
    Sep 14th 2017, 8:22 AM

    @John Kennedy: dont be insensitive John, the death of a loved one is an emotional shock for those left behind, its natural to mourn, those who dont usually dont do well and they eventually break down, we’re all aware that its an inevitable journey feared by many welcomed by few sso the taut that ur leaving ur loved ones behind is hard, speaking for myself, well, ill hang about as long as I can.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ryan
    Favourite Ryan
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 11:03 PM

    I doubt the dead really care how they’re dispatched to be honest. Once they’re finished harvesting my organs they can turn what’s left over into shepard’s pie if they like…

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ron North
    Favourite Ron North
    Report
    Sep 14th 2017, 12:14 AM

    @Ryan: I’m not saying you wouldn’t be delicious and chock full of goodness Ryan, but wouldn’t you be Cottage Pie?

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sam Cairns
    Favourite Sam Cairns
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 11:57 PM

    “You have reached your destination” will scare the daylights out of a few infirm mourners.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Polly Dolan
    Favourite Polly Dolan
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 9:54 PM

    For mourners who do not want to come to a dead stop!

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Culligan
    Favourite Paul Culligan
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 11:07 PM

    Ya want ‘Fry’s’ with that?

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stan
    Favourite Stan
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 9:52 PM

    Anyone see Stacey Dooley Japan doc last night? Japan is seriously f##ked up with what she exposed

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute TravellingTheWorld
    Favourite TravellingTheWorld
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 10:16 PM

    @Stan: The irony of the BBC caring about young people being at risk!

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stan
    Favourite Stan
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 11:10 PM

    @TravellingTheWorld: Acting like they didn’t know or help Jimmy among many other presenters.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Newberry
    Favourite Sean Newberry
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 11:16 PM

    What?

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian O Reilly
    Favourite Brian O Reilly
    Report
    Sep 13th 2017, 11:08 PM

    Ashes to Ashes dust to ,let’s burn the F ****r and get back on the bus.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ryan
    Favourite Ryan
    Report
    Sep 17th 2017, 1:40 AM
    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ryan
    Favourite Ryan
    Report
    Sep 17th 2017, 1:34 AM

    [url=http://www.google.com]www.thejournal.ie[/url]

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds