The Bion-M No. 2 satellite successfully returned to Earth after a month-long flight, during which laboratory mice were on board — most of them survived. The experiment was carried out by scientists from Moscow State University and the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and was aimed at studying the effects of polar-orbit conditions on mammalian organisms.
The mice were divided into three groups: ordinary mice, mice with the cell-protection gene Nrf2 switched off, and mice that received an activating drug. This made it possible to compare how different types of biological protection cope with space conditions.
Particular attention is being paid to the heart, the vascular system and metabolism. For the first time in the world, heart function was recorded in real time at all stages of the flight. After landing, a mobile scientific camp was set up, where the tissues and genetic activity of the animals are being analyzed around the clock.
The data obtained will help not only prepare for future crewed missions, but also open up new approaches in medicine — including for treating cardiovascular and metabolic disorders on Earth.
