In 1967, the first successful U.S. biological research satellite was launched carrying 13 experiments to test the effects of cosmic radiation and the space environment on simple small animal and plant life. The life forms included millions of orange head mold spores, thousands of vinegar gnats, flour beetles and bacteria cells, hundreds of wasp and amoeba, 120 frog eggs as well as dozens of wheat seedlings and blue wild flowers. This mission of Biosatellite II was successfully completed and it was retrieved after re-entry, whereas Biosatellite I (launched 14 Dec 1966) failed to make its planned re-entry due to retrofire failure..*