For the first time since the early days of the space program, in the early 1950s, the American space agency, NASA, will be conducting a series of tests on monkeys. The goal of the experiments will be to test and see whether their complex physiology, which is very similar to our own, could endure the rigors of a long-term, interplanetary voyage. The research is relevant when considering the obstacles and unknowns facing Martian exploration, but some people and groups question the validity of this research, in terms of the methods to be used. PETA is one of these groups.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) say that subjecting squirrel monkeys to high doses of very powerful radiation is something that should not be a part of a modern and civilized society. The space agency plans to irradiate a group of 28 monkeys with gamma-rays, the most powerful type of radiation in the Universe, composed of the most energetic type of photons. Gamma-rays are usually formed around black holes or in supernova explosions, but their consequences on the human body are not accurately known, according to this data.

PETA recently issued an information alert on its website, urging people to act up against the space agency and its experiments. “As you can imagine, we leapt to attention when we learned recently that the scientists at NASA want to blast up to 28 squirrel monkeys with a massive dose of gamma rays in order to 'simulate' the space radiation they would be exposed to if they were humans on a three-year mission to Mars (which they aren't, but apparently NASA isn't one to quibble over details),” the post says.

“The monkeys will then spend the rest of their lives being forced to perform a host of 'behavioral tasks' to assess how the radiation affected their brains. Although NASA has repeatedly told the media that these monkeys won't be killed, they left out the teensy detail that earlier radiation experiments NASA has conducted on monkeys have caused the animals to suffer from fatal cancers, including brain tumors,” the statement continues. A group of protesters has already taken to the streets, wearing monkey masks, as well as small cages around them, and signs reading, “No Tax $ for Animal Abuse,” and, “Stop Radiation Tests on Monkeys,” Space reports.