People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) UK staged the protest outside the Russian Embassy in London, opposing what they claimed was a Russian plan to send four macaque monkeys to Mars in 2017. Most of the protesters were bundled up for the cold weather, but one protestor, actress Samantha Bentley, was “bodypainted as a monkey and wearing a space helmet,” according to a PETA statement. “PETA is calling on the Russian Federal Space Agency to put a stop to this ill-advised suicide mission and be a true pioneer in modern-day space exploration,” said the organization’s science policy adviser, Dr. Julia Baines. Roscosmos, whose Mars exploration efforts in the near term are focused on cooperation with Europe on the 2016 and 2018 ExoMars missions, has not confirmed plans for such a mission. Moreover, no feasible launch window to Mars is available in 2017. [PETA UK]
Photos: Nearly Naked Model Leads Protest Against Russia's 'Monkey on Mars' Mission | Media Centre | PETA UK
http://www.peta.org.uk/...s-nearly-naked-model-leads-protest-against-russias-monkey-on-mars-mission/