Is China planning to send monkeys to its new space station? Report says yes

China Space Plan: Looking at the reproduction mechanism of monkeys in zero gravity poses several hurdles.

China is planning to send monkeys to its newly completed Tiangong space station in order to study how they grow and reproduce in a zero-gravity environment, it was reported. The research would be conducted in Tiangong space station's module, South China Morning Post reported.

China Space Plan: China may be sending monkeys into space for research. (Representational)

“These experiments will help improve our understanding of an organism’s adaptation to microgravity and other space environments,” the report said quoting Zhang Lu, a researcher at the Chinese academy of sciences in Beijing.

Looking at the reproduction mechanism of monkeys in zero gravity poses several hurdles as owing to the monkeys being larger animals scientists will have to focus on how to make them maintain close contact in the new space environment. The report also said that scientists also think that feeding the monkeys through the study period and dealing with their waste would be a major concern.

Moreover, the report said that it would be difficult for the monkeys to remain stress-free and comfortable in their enclosures in the space station.

China's Tiangong space station is currently populated by a crew of two male and one female astronauts – Chen Dong, Cai Xuzhe and Liu Yang. The astronauts arrived in June and will complete the station’s assembly before the end of this year.