China To Send Pig Sperm To Space

[zavvy]

<b>China To Send Pig Sperm To Space </b><br /><br />LINK<br /><br />China is planning to study the effects of space on sperm, by sending the semen from pedigree pigs into orbit. <br /><br />Some 40 grams of pig sperm will be taken on board the Shenzhou VI spacecraft for its October launch. <br /><br />Some of the sperm will be kept outside the spacecraft's biological capsule and some inside, according to China's Xinhua news agency. <br /><br />Surviving sperm will be returned to Earth and used to understand better the processes involved in pig reproduction. <br /><br />The pigs chosen are a breed called Rongchang, named after an area in the southwest of the country and famed for their physique and for the quality of their meat. <br /><br />Agricultural experts hope to use the sperm to fertilise pig eggs back on Earth - to see what effect a period of microgravity will have had on the sperm's activity. <br /><br />China's first manned spaceflight two years ago made it the third country able to launch a human into space on its own, along with Russia and the United States. <br /><br />During the upcoming mission, two astronauts will orbit the planet five or six times. <br /><br /><i>(apologies if this has already been posted..)</i>

 

[tap_sa]

Obligatory,<br /><br /><br />Pigs in Spaaaaaace...

 

[Leovinus]

Darnit, you beat me to it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[ehs40]

it could be weird

 

[askold]

Are they trying to breed weightless pigs?<br /><br />Is this some sort of diet thing?<br />

 

[lunatic133]

Oink?

 

[mrmorris]

I see a movie coming up. Cosmic ray hitting spermatoza 14,500xsd results in a DNA change. When Li Chin Ho (momma) gives birth to Space Pig 14d (the runt of the litter), the world will never be the same. <br /><br />Pigzilla -- The Menace from Rongchang.

 

[gavino]

I still don't get the hole thing of sending a pig sperm to space. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><span style="font-style:italic" class="Apple-style-span">gavinovz</span></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[mrmorris]

China has been sending seeds and such into space pretty much from the beginning of their ability to return cargo from orbit. They have greenhouses dedicated to growing 'space crops' from these seeds that have potentially been 'altered' by cosmic rays and/or Zero-G into something 'better' than what they were before the round-trip to space. I've seen photos of Chinese scientists holding gigantic fruits/veggies from these farms with the claim that the trip to space is the reason for the improved yield/size.<br /><br />Considering that 99.9999992999637% of the possible mutations that a cosmic ray might induce on a seed/sperm/etc. would be <b>bad</b>... I don't know how much credence I give to the process. However, it's their spaceship and they can try if they wanna.

 

[dragon04]

Miss Piggy will be happy. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Apparently pig sperm has a much longer lifespan than Human sperm does. Which is good and bad.<br /><br />Wiggle it. Just a little bit. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Van Allen moo shu pork ? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

{ bweep bweep-----inappropriate humor alert-----bweep bweep}<br /><br /><br /><br />I suppose it's better they send it to space the Enumclaw.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>