ScienceAlert...Russian research satellite Foton-M4 was launched last Saturday (19 July) with a precious cargo of five geckos, insects and plants on board. The orbiting geckos were expected to mate, allowing scientists from Russia’s Institute of Medico-Biological Problems to determine the effects of weightlessness on reptile reproduction.
But the research stalled when scientists reported on Thursday that their gecko sex satellite had gone AWOL and was not responding to commands.
Video footage of out-of-this-world gecko sex is still reaching Earth but if contact is not re-established the geckos will die from hunger in a few months.
This is one of a number of recent calamities in the Russian space program.
The Guardian reported a Proton-M rocket carrying a satellite to provide internet in remote parts of Russia exploded minutes after lift-off in May and the Angara rocket launch was aborted at the last minute in July.
However, their previous attempt to send an ecosystem into space in 2007 was successful with all the newts, lizards, Mongolian gerbils, slugs, butterflies and spiders on board returning successfully to Earth.
The Russian government recently announced a massive $52bn investment in the space industry until 2020.