Remember Laika the dogmonaut .. er, Russian space dog? Well, if the Russians have their way, more animals are on their way to outer space. Here's their plan of sending monkeys to Mars:
They won't utter Yuri Gagarin's famous phrase "Let's go!" But the monkeys of Sochi have already proven their worth as trailblazers in space - and now they are being groomed for a trip to Mars.
The macaques will be the first to experience the radiation that poses a big risk to astronauts - or Russian cosmonauts - on any flight to the Red Planet.
http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/telstarlogistics/2008/04/russia-remember.html