This Russian sex satellite with mating geckos was lost in space. Control was finally regained on Saturday night, while the partying lizards were distracted.

Russian officials estimate that 90 percent of the experiments on the satellite should still be sitting pretty, and that includes the five randy geckos sent up there to get busy in microgravity.

The Foton-M4 research satellite launched on July 19 with five geckos on board. The plan: To observe their mating activities in the zero-gravity conditions of Earth orbit. Several other earthly creatures, including plants and insects, were also placed on board for experiments.

But shortly after the satellite made its first few orbits, it stopped responding to commands from mission control. The equipment on board, however, is still sending scientific data back to earth, a spokesman for Russia’s Institute of Biomedical Problems said.

Those free lovin’ lizards are now free to do as nature intended for the rest of the 60 day mission.

[More.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/07/24/there-is-a-lizard-sex-satellite-floating-in-space-and-russia-no-longer-has-it-under-control/)