A group of five geckos, who were sent to space by Russia's Federal Space Agency for experiments on sexual behavior with zero-gravity, died before the spaceship returned to Earth.
The deaths of the geckos were not likely attributed to the experiment, according to The Guardian. Rather, a scientific commission involved with the experiment said that the geckos froze, suggesting their deaths can be attributed to the failure of the equipment used.
"We can say with confidence that they died at least a week before the landing because their bodies were partly mummified," an official from Russia's Institute of Medical and Biological Problems told Itar-Tass news agency.
Before the deaths of the reptiles, it was established that they handled the flight well and they were successful at developing and breeding, according to a statement released by Roscosmos, Russia's Federal Space Agency.
Specialists are examining the corpses to determine the cause and time of deaths of the geckos.
