China to send pig sperm to space

Did you ever wonder what pig sperm is actually good for, besides reproducing?

Well China is planning to study the effects of space on sperm, by sending the semen from pedigree pigs into orbit. They plan to send 40 grams of the sperm on Shenzhou VI spacecraft, however some of the sperm will be kept outside the spacecraft in its biological capsule, and then some inside.

The surviving sperm will be sent back to Earth and be used in experiments to better understand the process of pig reproduction. Agriculture experts will use this sperm and try to fertilise the pig's eggs. They wanted to see what effect the mircogravity will have on the sperm's activity.

Two astronauts will orbit along with the sperm.

Sending sperm to space, what will be next?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4690651.stm