Russian “Noah’s Ark” returns from space with cosmic experiments

A Russian biological research satellite carrying more than 30 experiments safely returned to Earth on September 19, landing in the steppes of the Orenburg region. 

Dubbed a “Noah’s Ark” due to its cargo of living specimens, the Bion-M No. 2 mission included 75 mice, over 1,500 flies, cell cultures, microorganisms, plant seeds, and other biological materials, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The satellite was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on August 20 atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket and spent 30 days in a polar orbit approximately 370–380 kilometers above Earth.

Recovery crews quickly extinguished a small brush fire near the landing site and extracted the specimens using a trio of search helicopters. Initial post-flight examinations took place in a temporary medical tent, with detailed studies planned at the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in Moscow. Early assessments included monitoring the flies’ motor activity to detect potential nervous system effects from spaceflight.

The Bion-M No. 2 program consisted of ten research sections. Several focused on gravitational physiology and the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on animals, plants, and microorganisms. Others investigated radiation safety, biotechnological processes, and technical experiments, while the tenth section featured experiments prepared by students from Russia and Belarus.

One particularly notable study, called “Meteorite,” explored the panspermia theory — the idea that life on Earth may have originated from outer space. Microbial strains embedded in basalt rocks were subjected to the intense heat of reentry to test whether life could survive such extreme conditions.

The mission, conducted jointly by Roscosmos, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and IBMP, represents a significant step in understanding the effects of long-term spaceflight on living organisms and could provide insights into human life support systems, astrobiology, and space radiation safety.

By Vugar Khalilov