Video captures of the reaction of zero-gravity mice onboard the space station

The behavior of 20 mice on the International Space Station helps to understand how humans could adapt to life in space.

The female mice were airlifted into the space capsule SpaceX Dragon and spent up to 37 days in NASA's rodent habitat. Video footage shows that the mice immediately began grooming, feeding, snuggling and socializing, but less than 10 days after leaving the Earth, young mice began to circle around their cage.

In a study published in Scientific reports, the scientists described the race as a "unique behavior of" race tracking "", where they ran at full speed around the cage.

Initially, they moved their bodies along an "ovular trajectory" and "propelling themselves by pushing the walls with their hind limbs," the scientists wrote. "This behavior quickly evolved into completely circular towers."

The authors stated that this could indicate a stress response, a physical activity as a reward, or that they felt unbalanced due to lack of gravity. However, further research is needed to understand what was happening.

NASA Habitat Module for rodents with two open access doors. (Photo credit: NASA / Dominic Hart)

With this study, the authors aimed to better understand how animals adapt to the spatial environment. These findings may have implications for the interpretation of animal study results required to better understand human responses to long-duration space flight.

At the end of the study, all the mice were in good health and their body weight was similar to that of the ground controls.

The mice remained active and mobile throughout the experiment; they explored their environment and occupied all areas of the habitat, according to the researchers.

Previous rodent research projects aboard the International Space Station included a study on aging in response to microgravity, as well as its role in the onset and progression of the disease.

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