BREEDING FACILITIES FOR RODENTS AND AMPHIBIANS IN SPACE

THE SPACE STATION ERA PROMISES OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH BASIC SCIENCE AND COMMERCIAL UTILIZATION OF SELF-RENEWING ANIMAL COLONIES IN SPACE. NEVERTHELESS, CURRENT LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS DO NOT EXIST FOR MATING AND THE FULL LIFE CYCLE. WEPROPOSE TO ANALYZE, DESIGN, AND TEST A VARIETY OF SMALL SCALE BREEDING FACILITIES FOR RODENTS AND AMPHIBIANS. OUR APPROACH WILL BE BASED ON PROVISION OF ECOLOGICAL FEATURES TO COMPENSATE FOR INDIRECT, DISRUPTIVE EFFECTS MICROGRAVITY MAY HAVE ON THE REPRODUCTION AND LIFE CYCLES OFEXPERIMENTAL ORGANISMS. THESE BREEDING FACILITIES WILL BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE SHUTTLE MIDDECK LOCKERS, SO THAT PRELIMINARY TESTS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN ANTICIPATION OF EARLY SPACE STATION APPLICATIONS. THE HABITATS WILL EMBODY NEW PRINCIPLES FOR LIFE SUPPORT OF ANIMALS IN SPACE, PARTICULARLY THOSE RELEVANT TO THE ANIMALS' WELFARE AND THE CONDUCT OF NEW PROGRAMS IN SPACE BIOLOGY.