Question Rodent Research 9

[Ripley]

And so, SpaceX CRS-12 mission is over.

While reading about the Dragon reentry and the Rodent Research 9 experiment at spaceflight101.com, this sentence caught my eye (emphasys mine):

The 20 mice – unlike some of their predecessors – were lucky enough to have a return ticket and were among the time-critical items packed into Dragon on Saturday before its hatch was closed.

Does it mean that (usually) the poor mice get burned in the atmosphere, after serving science?

 

[Donamy]

I would expect humanely euthanized, Then 'burned' up.

 

[Wolf]

That's the evil side of science

 

[Mojave]

That's the evil side of science

I wouldn't say evil, I'd say sad because it's not like they were murdered indiscriminately for no reason. These rodents died for science to make a positive difference in whatever the past and current studies were. They helped our understanding of microgravity effects in living organisms. A noble cause for any mouse plotting to take over the world.

 

[Notebook]

Thousands of fruit-flies die every day in the name of science. Just because they aren't cute and furry, nobody cares.
Save the Fruit-Fly!

Remember:
Time flies like an arrow, fruit-flies like a banana.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Wait... If they were down-mass aboard the Dragon, why would they burn up? Wasn't the Dragon recovered?

 

[boogabooga]

That's the evil side of science

Wait, so you've never had to set a mousetrap? Mice die a lot less "glamorously" (or whatever word). Like, a lot.

 

[Urwumpe]

Wait, so you've never had to set a mousetrap? Mice die a lot less "glamorously" (or whatever word). Like, a lot.

My mousetrap is called "Boomer", is a bit tiny sadistic and usually leaves the most ugly components of the mouse behind....