Russian space agency Roscosmos announced on Saturday that it had regained command of a gecko-carry spacecraft that is orbiting in an elliptical orbit with its lowest point 155 miles (250 kilometers) above earth.
The Foton-4 satellite was launched into space via a Soyuz 2-1a rocket at Site 31 in Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on July 19. The spacecraft carried a biological payload, including five geckos - four females and one male, fruitflies, mushrooms, silkworms, dried plant seeds, and other microorganisms, as well as 850 kilograms worth of scientific equipment to carry out 22 Russian and German experiments. The purpose of the experiments were to study animal reproduction in zero gravity environments.
Hours after the launch, the spacecraft lost connection with ground control. In addition, it missed a planned rocket burn that would have propelled it from a lower elliptical orbit 155 miles above earth, to 357-mile circular orbit.
Roscosmos chief official Oleg Nikolayevich Ostapenko confirmed on July 26 that, “The link is established, the prescribed commands have been conducted in accordance with the plan," adding that "90 percent" of Foton-M4’s experiments are still being successfully conducted.
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