Soviet Union and Later (after 1991) Russia
The Soviet/Russian space program in the Bion program satellites used only the rhesus species.
The first Soviet monkeys, Abrek and Bion, flew on Bion 6. They were aloft from December 14, 1983 - December 20, 1983.
Next came Bion 7 with monkeys Verny and Gordy from July 10, 1985 - July 17, 1985.
Then Dryoma and Yerosha on Bion 8 from September 29, 1987 - October 12, 1987. After returning from space Dryoma was presented to Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
Bion 9 with monkeys Zhakonya and Zabiyaka followed from September 15, 1989 to September 28, 1989. They hold the monkey in space endurance record at 13 days, 17 hours in space.
Monkeys Krosh and Ivasha flew on Bion 10 from December 29, 1992 to January 7, 1993. Sixteen-year-old space veteran Krosh has produced offspring, after rehabilitation upon returning to Earth.
Lapik and Multik are the last space monkeys to date. They flew aboard the Bion 11 mission from December 24, 1996 to January 7, 1997. Multik died following inhalation of vomitus while anesthetized for US biopsy sampling on January 8. Lapik almost died during the identical procedure. These 2 incidents, plus the bad reaction to post-flight anesthesia in the US monkey, Able, 4 days after return to earth were never followed up as a potential impact of spaceflight contraindicating anesthesia during or shortly after spaceflght. Further US support of the Bion program was cancelled.
The names of the monkeys started with each letter of the Russian alphabet sequentially (А, Б, В, Г, Д, Е, Ж, З...)
Read more about this topic: Monkeys In Space
Famous quotes containing the words soviet, union and/or russia:
“They were right. The Soviet régime is not the embodiment of evil as you think in the West. They have laws and I broke them. I hate tea and they love tea. Who is wrong?”
—Alexander Zinoviev (b. 1922)
“The man whose whole activity is diverted to inner meditation becomes insensible to all his surroundings. If he loves, it is not to give himself, to blend in fecund union with another being, but to meditate on his love. His passions are mere appearances, being sterile. They are dissipated in futile imaginings, producing nothing external to themselves.”
—Emile Durkheim (1858–1917)
“In my opinion it is harmful to place important things in the hands of philanthropy, which in Russia is marked by a chance character. Nor should important matters depend on leftovers, which are never there. I would prefer that the government treasury take care of it.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)