Moscow, Apr 19 (EFE).- A Soyuz 2.1 rocket topped by a capsule carrying mice, gerbils and other small creatures was launched into space Friday from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. "The space apparatus has separated from the third stage of the rocket," the Roscosmos space agency said. The Bion-M1 contains 45 mice, 15 geckos, 20 snails and eight Mongolian gerbils as well as micro-organisms and plants, accompanied by video cameras and an array of sensors enabling scientists on the ground to monitor their biological responses to spaceflight.