Apes in space! Mission to send monkeys into orbit revealed

^In a new space race, China has revealed its plan to send monkeys into orbit.

This follows news that the United States is planning to launch a manned mission to Mars by the 2030s.

China announced its ambitious plans over the weekend, with the launch of six monkeys set for 2020.

The country's space program has been rapidly expanding in recent years, with an unmanned moon landing and the construction of a space station both missions completed in recent months.

The monkey mission will be used to test technology for a future trip to Mars, which Chinese officials say could happen as soon as 2040.

So far there has been no word on whether or not Russia plans to retaliate with plans to send bears into orbit…