On August 21, Russia successfully launched the Bion-M biological satellite No. 2 from Baikonur Cosmodrome using a Soyuz-2.1b rocket. The satellite brought 75 mice, about 1,500 vinegar flies and many biological samples such as cells, plants, grains, fungi, geology and seeds into space.
According to the plan, Bion-M No. 2 will operate for 30 days on the orbit before landing in the Orenburg grassland on September 19. The difference from the International Space Station (ISS) is that the satellite flies in a synchronous rotation of the Sun 800,000m high, where the radiation is 10 times stronger than the ISS. Scientists say the 30 days in this orbit are equivalent to 3 years of radiation exposure on the ISS.
This is also the first time Bion-M has flown in an orbit with a large incline, about 370,000 - 380,000m, where the radiation is up to 30% higher than the ISS. According to the researchers, the cucistic trajectory - where the satellite passes through two poles of the Earth at each rotation - allows the collection of important data on the impact of cosmic rays on living things.
The head of Russia's Roscosmos Space Research Agency, Dmitry Bakanov, stressed that this experiment is an important step in assessing the risk of biomedical applications in long-term missions to the Moon and Mars. He said Galaxy radiation is a major challenge because it can damage cells, and the goal of the study is to find an effective protective substance for astronauts.
Scientists consider Bion-M satellite No. 2 as a large-scale biological medicine laboratory, not only serving human health research but also expanding to the field of cultivation in non-gravity conditions. The test results are expected to be announced at the end of 2025, as a basis for a strategy for further space exploration.
Russia also aims to go further when planning to launch Bion-M No. 3 in 2028. The satellite will be equipped with an artificial attraction centering camera, which is expected to be an important step forward in preparing for inter- planetary flights.
