Turtles in Space: Kuang-Chi Group successfully tests commercial “manned” capsule
No, it’s not a ripoff of the Muppets- a yellow-headed temple turtle (Heosemys annandalii) just returned from a trip 13 miles above the ground. Kuang-Chi Group, based in China, has plans to provide commercial near-space visits for humans, and this little turtle just proved that their efforts have been worthwhile. The turtle rode in the Traveller 3, a miniature version of what the company plans to build for a 6-person vessel in the near future, and it returned safely using a parachute. While the mental imagery of a turtle astronaut deserves a grin, the dream of civilian space travel is about to become a reality. Kuang-Chi Group plans to have its program fully operational by 2019.
ALSO: a sulcata tortoise has gone missing from a middle school in CA- details in Miscellaneous section.
Turtle News From Around the World
Conservation
Eritrea: decades of conservation work is paying off for African nation
Wales: research suggests sea turtle numbers climbing off coast
Ecology
Malaysia: 4 sea turtles rescued from illegal fishing net
Miscellany
USA: meet Randy “The Turtle Man,” rescuer of sulcatas (Geochelone sulcata)
USA: sulcata (Geochelone sulcata) missing from middle school in Brentwood, CA, feared stolen
Did You Know…
Known as temple turtles due to the fact that they are often seen at Buddhist temples in Asia and cared for by the monks there, Heosemys annandalii is classified as an endangered species, threatened by many factors including the Asian food market.
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Photo from CGTN.
