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China plans to send pig sperm into space
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-07-17 17:12
China plans to bring animal sperms to the outer space for
the first time in its second manned mission, Shenzhou VI, which is scheduled for
early October this year.
Former space breeding experiment was done with plant seeds only.
The Chongqing Academy of Animal Husbandry Science (CAAHS) in southwest
China's municipality recently signed a contract with the space breeding center
of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Under the accord,
Shenzhou VI will carry 40 grams of pig sperms to the outer space.
The
sperms will come from two carefully chosen Rongchang pigs, according to a CAAHS
official.
Named after Rongchang County of Chongqing, Rongchang pig is outstanding in
terms of figure and quality. Its pork is well received both at home and abroad.
In October, part of the chosen sperms will be put inside the biological
capsule of Shenzhen VI and the other part will be put outside. It is believed
that under the microgravity and cosmic rays of the outer space, genes of the
sperms stored in different manners will be changed in different ways.
After staying for 4 to 5 days in the outer space, the pig sperms will be put
together with pig eggs in test tubes on the earth. What kind of changes will
occur in the figure and quality of the test-tube pigs? The experiment results
will likely come outin two years, according to breeders.
Wang Jinyong, head of the CAAHS breeding center, said that his academy has
invested more than two million yuan (240,963 US dollars) in related researches
and equipment for the upcoming tests.
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