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NASA to irradiate live monkeys
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Photo of squirrel monkeys from Google Images
NASA has decided to take quite a few steps backwards in its quest to study the effect of radiation on humans in space flight by exposing squirrel monkeys to doses of radiation. NASA has not experimented on live animals since the 1970's.
NASA's Space Regulation Analysis Group website states: "As NASA ponders the feasibility of sending manned spaceflight missions back to the Moon or to other planets, radiation protection for crew members remains one of the key technological issues which must be resolved."
For those of us who are not aeronautical engineers, the reason radiology studies are important to space travel is due to the inherent risk of cancer and other illnesses caused by radiation exposure. Earth's magnetic field provides a protective bubble for people on the ground and most of the time for spaceships in low-Earth orbit, like the International Space Station. Currently, the sun is in a quiet phase of its 11-year cycle therefore, astronauts face a relatively low risk of dangerous radiation exposure. As the sun heads into a period of maximum activity in 2010 or 2011 the risk increases.
NASA's new study will involve exposing 18 to 28 squirrel monkeys to a low dose of the type of radiation that astronauts traveling to Mars can expect to encounter. The study goals are to determine how radiation impacts the monkeys' central nervous systems and behaviors over time. The monkeys are trained to perform a variety of tasks and will be tested to see how the exposure affects their performance.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is calling for NASA to halt these cruel and unnecessary experiments. If you believe exposing monkeys to repeated doses of radiation is cruel, please contact NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. and ask him to stop these experiments before they start!
Or, you can call him at 202-358-0000. Be sure to include the following points in your communication:
- I support the mission of NASA.
- Space radiation studies involving the use of live animals, however, are cruel and pointless.
- Genetic and physiological differences between humans and monkeys make this type of research ineffectual.
- Monkeys are sentient beings who experience pain and suffering.
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Sources: Discovery.com News, PCRM, Florida Today.com
For more info: 21st century animal testing
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