The biological satellite "Bion-M" No. 2, launched from Baikonur on August 20, has completed its 30-day scientific mission and landed on Earth in the Orenburg region. There were living organisms on board the spacecraft, which will now be delivered to Moscow for further research.
During the flight, the 6.4-ton satellite was in a high-latitude orbit, where the level of cosmic radiation is a third higher than in the ISS orbit. This allowed scientists to study the effect of extreme space conditions on biological objects.
On board were 75 laboratory mice, about 1,500 drosophila, plants, seeds of grain and leguminous crops, fungi, lichens, and cell samples. Some seeds were the offspring of organisms that had already been in space on the "Bion-M" No. 1 (2013) and "Foton-M" No. 4 (2014) spacecraft, which will allow tracking the long-term effects of space exposure.
In addition to the internal cargo, a meteorite simulator with living cells is fixed on the outer surface of the satellite. The experiment will test the hypothesis that microorganisms can survive in the thickness of a space body when passing through the Earth's atmosphere.
According to the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, all organisms on board the spacecraft tolerated the flight safely, and their condition was continuously monitored.
Read materials on the topic:
- About 75 mice will fly into space: biosatellite "Bion-M" No. 2 will launch from Baikonur on August 20
- Space mice went into orbit: Soyuz-2.1b with the Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite successfully launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome
- The Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite was installed at Baikonur
Now on home
The state has accelerated the introduction of unmanned solutions, integrating them into the real sector of the economy
Modernized engines may equip the Lada Azimut crossover
The price is 132 billion 265.8 million rubles
The manufacturer plans to strengthen its lineup of light commercial vehicles
The production of carbon fiber was organized in the shortest possible time
Electric vans will speed up the repair of urban transport infrastructure
Countries are working to synchronize regulations in the field of AI
The service's average daily audience is 55 million people
Stable Isomaterial Based on Metakaolin Has a Density Below 300 kg/m³
Re-identification quality improved twofold with new DynaMix method
Russians will be able to find out about debts online
The company presented the new crossover in Moscow and announced the launch dates for mass production
Articles
-
National Project UAS: How Russia Created Its Own Drone Market
14 Jan 2026
-
No Spare Airfield: Sanctions and Aging Aircraft Fleet May Lead to Crisis
13 Jan 2026
-
ODK Engines Powered 13 Successful Soyuz Launches in 2025
13 Jan 2026
-
Why Russian Authorities Changed Their Mind About Introducing GOST for Video Games: Reasons Given
12 Jan 2026