--- title: "NASA Killed All Its Monkeys on the Same Day, Investigation Reveals" description: "NASA euthanized all 27 of its primates at the agency's Ames research center in California in February 2019, The Guardian reports." date: "2020-12-22" modified: "2020-12-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-killed-monkeys-investigation-reveals" categories: - "Future Society" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "ames research center" - "monkeys" - "NASA" - "primates" - "research monkeys" - "the digest" --- # NASA Killed All Its Monkeys on the Same Day, Investigation Reveals ![NASA euthanized all 27 of its primates at the agency's Ames research center in California in February 2019, The Guardian reports.]() *\Image: Chris huh\* ## Mass Euthanasia NASA euthanized all 27 primates at the agency's Ames research center in California in February 2019, [*The Guardian* reports](), causing outrage among animal welfare groups. According to the newspaper, the culling eliminated all the agency's monkeys. According to animal rights advocates, the monkeys could have easily gone to sanctuaries. John Gluck, an expert in animal ethics at the University of New Mexico, told the *Guardian* that the animals were "apparently not considered worthy of a chance at a sanctuary life. Not even a try? Disposal instead of the expression of simple decency. Shame on those responsible." ## No Sanctuary 21 of the monkeys reportedly had Parkinson's, according to documents obtained by the newspaper. US House representative Kathleen Rice (D-NY) is pushing NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine for an explanation. "I look forward to an explanation from administrator Bridenstine on why these animals were forced to waste away in captivity and be euthanized rather than live out their lives in a sanctuary," Rice told *The Guardian*. ## Lease on Life The monkeys were held by drug research company LifeSource BioMedical, which had leased space at Ames from NASA. The animals were reportedly not part of any research. According to the company's CEO Stephanie Solis, LifeSource BioMedical "agreed to accept the animals, acting as a sanctuary and providing all care at our own cost, until their advanced age and declining health resulted in a decision to humanely euthanize to avoid a poor quality of life." Despite efforts to stop the use of primates in laboratory research, countless labs around the country continue to use monkeys in their research. In 2017 alone, a [record 76,000 primates]() were used by US biomedical researchers, according to data released by the US Department of Agriculture. **READ MORE:** [Revealed: Nasa killed all 27 monkeys held at research center on single day in 2019]() \[*The Guardian*\] **More on primates:** *[Scientists Are Running Out of Primates to Test Vaccines On]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()