Spacecraft carrying rodents, insects, microbes, flora, and ants launched from Baikonur with the "Bion-M" satellite aboard

Roscosmos Launches "Bion-M" No.2 Spacecraft for Deep Space Research

Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, has successfully launched the Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying the "Bion-M" No.2 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on August 20, 2025. This marks the first time this rocket and satellite combination has been launched.

The "Bion-M" No.2 spacecraft is a part of a program that dates back over 50 years, with the initial purpose being to prepare for work on long-term orbital stations. This mission is a continuation of a scientific program that aims to study the effects of conditions in deep space on living organisms.

The main goal of this launch is the flight of a research apparatus in a polar orbit. The "Bion-M" satellite is a large medical-biological laboratory, carrying various living organisms, plant samples, and seeds that have been in space before. On board the satellite are 75 mice, fruit flies, cell cultures, plants, mosses, samples of cereals, legumes, and technical crops, as well as seeds of plants grown from seeds that have previously been in space.

According to Roscosmos, the level of cosmic radiation over the Earth's poles is 30% higher than that on the orbit where the International Space Station flies. The "Bion-M" satellite mission is designed to conduct research in these harsh conditions to better understand the effects of deep space on living organisms.

The "Bion-M" No.2 spacecraft is expected to remain in orbit for 30 days. The last time the bio-satellite "Bion-M" was launched was in 2013. The program is a long-standing scientific initiative in Russia, with the "Bion-M" No.2 spacecraft being a continuation of a program with a history spanning more than 50 years.

This mission is a significant step forward in furthering our understanding of deep space and its effects on living organisms, paving the way for future long-term space missions.