Yesterday SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral. Where? To the International space station, of course. This time the rocket was Packed with the most interesting cargo — a cure for cancer, algae, robot-assistant, and… mouse. Twenty brave mice set out to conquer ISS. According to the plan, ten mice will spend a record 90 days in orbit, and ten others to return to Earth after 30 days. Scientists from the Center for sleep and circadian biology at northwestern University will study how space changes the circadian rhythms of mice (biological processes occurring at 24-hour cycle), the microflora (bacteria and other microorganisms living on and inside the body) and other physiological processes.
This study will be a continuation of another experiment CSCB. Astronaut Scott Kelly conducted aboard the ISS for a year while his identical twin mark remains on the Ground for control. It turned out that being in space affected the expression of 7% of the genes of Scott.
Twenty mice sent to the ISS, also have identical twins that remain on Earth, in NASA research center. They will live in the same conditions as the space brothers — the same lighting, temperature, loads only with a three-day delay.
Scientists expect that the exact replication of conditions will provide a more accurate understanding of the influence of space on the human body. Given that the Mars mission will probably be held for several years, we need to explore this question, before you send these people to the Red planet.
Although 90 days may not seem a particularly long term, this is equivalent to nine years of our lives, so the little mouse can be our chance to find out what happens when we spend a significant period of life outside the earth’s atmosphere.
Read more about other experiments that will start due to the Friday’s launch of Falcon 9, click here.
Why on the ISS sent twenty mice?
Ilya Hel