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The Russian space agency has managed to re-establish communication with the Photon-M4 satellite, having lost contact for three days.

The spacecraft was carrying a number of research experiments looking at the effects of microgravity on plants, insects and gecko mating activities. Mission control lost the ability to control the satellite after it had made the first few orbits around Earth, although the team was still receiving telemetry data back from the satellite.


Control of the craft was regained on Saturday 26 July, revealed the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and it is hoped that researchers will be able to carry out their intended studies with very little disruption. One of the key studies was to look at if and how geckos reproduce in space. Five of the lizards -- one male and four females -- were on board in a special container surrounded by cameras. The plan was to see how microgravity affected their fertility and the structure and health of their eggs.

On 28 July (today), Roscosmos will assess whether or not it should try and push the craft into the orbit researchers had originally planned -- further away from Earth than its current position.

Roscosmos has a couple of hypotheses for why contact with Photon-M4 was lost. The first is that there may have been a mechanical fault and the second is that the satellite has been damaged by space debris. It will have to wait until the satellite falls to Earth to know the answer.