NASA Stops Monkey Experiments

On Thursday, December 9, the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM) announced that NASA halted planned experiments on squirrel monkeys, a victory PCRM had advocated for more than a year. NASA had planned to irradiate nearly 30 squirrel monkeys in an attempt to understand the effects of deep-space radiation on humans. According to PCRM, NASA says it will, “undertake a comprehensive review of the agency’s current research and technology development plans to see how they align with the President’s plan for human spaceflight.” When the experiment was first announced, it immediately faced opposition from other animal-welfare organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).