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Mice In Space

Posted by michael on from the crispy-critters dept.

benmcgruer writes "Space.com is reporting on the Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program. This international, student-lead, project aims to explores the topical issue of biological response to low gravity, specifically the 0.38-g found on Mars, by building and launching their own satellite, complete with 15 mice. NASA, Fark.com and Universe Today also have coverage."

6 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. Return ? by Animaether · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Maybe I'm missing it.. they speak of in-flight and post-flight data on one page, so will this thing eventually return back down to earth intact ?

    If not.. erm.. those mice will be left to starve to death and rot, or be burned up in the atmosphere, or ?
    ( I know, I know.. hundreds of mice die at the hand of science every day, but would anything prevent the thing from returning back to earth 'safely' ? )

  2. Why not a wheel? by TheClam · · Score: 2, Interesting
    From the article:
    No wheels, though, says Wooster, because NASA has learned that exercise can counteract some of the effects of low-gravity on astronauts. A mouse with a wheel in its cage can actually run several miles a day. "We don't want to give the mice a countermeasure in terms of exercise."
    Why not? If you gave a few mice wheels (or is that wheel mice?), you'd get more data on how exercise would help mars-onauts.
  3. Mice show that space pregnancy is feasible by richard_za · · Score: 3, Interesting

    In a related article also on space.com it is mentioned that mice embroyes low gravity conditions develop normally, thanks to some pioneering work by Japanese scientists. It seems to me that mice get to do all the fun things.

  4. What about the Prime Directive? by HaeMaker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We have yet to determine wether life exists on Mars, and yet we are planning to send living organisms to the planet.

    How can we prove that life existed on Mars before we planted our own infestation?

  5. Re:One question. by AKAImBatman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It *would* be worth it if they were testing Nuclear Propulsion. At least that way they could measure the REM dosage that the mice received. If everything goes as planned, the mice would receive very little from the craft and land on Mars in a condition to begin other experiments.

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  6. Scientifically flawed? by Koualla · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I'm glad to hear of this mission, especially since my local university (UQ) is among those participating, but I'm concerned about the absence of a control group.

    There should be two compartments on the satellite, one rotating and one stationary, so they can directly compare mars-type gravity with zero gravity, and also a population of mice on Earth to represent the normal case.

    I suppose they could run a control group up to the ISS, but having them on the same satellite makes more sense, and would ensure that the mice are all subjected to the same stresses during launch and reentry.

    Anyhow, here's hoping the folks here at UQ don't screw up the deorbit, reentry and landing phases so we get the mice back intact. :-)

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