Video shows how mice respond to microgravity aboard the International Space Station

Earth mice sent by NASA to the International Space Station quickly adapted to space flight. Rodents have even learned to challenge microgravity.

The Spaceflight mice sent to the ISS would do everything that a normal household mouse would do: feed, groom, snuggle and interact with other mice. However, throughout their experimental flight, the mice also learned to propel themselves in weightlessness.

These rodent behaviors of spaceflight have been detailed in a recent study published by the NASA Ames Research Center.

According to the study, behavioral analysis can reveal how animals are accustomed to the spatial environment and how changes in physical activity, diet, consumption and consumption Alcohol, circadian movements and social interactions may alter other experimental measures.

NASA's behavioral study is focused on how the physiology of the mouse reacts to the environment of spaceflight during extended missions and on the similarities between the reactions of flight crews. ; astronauts.

NASA Rodent Center

In 2014, NASA sent 20 mice to live in their habitat for the first deployment of the rodent research mission.

Scientists sent 16- to 32-week-old female mice to the space where they spent 37 days in microgravity, a long-term rodent life-span mission.

Their habitat was a cage enclosure specifically designed for the experiment, which aimed to determine how space and microgravity affect model organisms whose biology has similarities to human body systems.

Overall, the mice behaved normally and were in excellent health at the end of the study.

Challenge microgravity

A video showed that during their second day in orbit, the mice began to adapt to microgravity during their usual activities. The mice were seen with a locomotion similar to that of the posterior step ladder, and they also used the momentum to float up to their destination.

Such observations indicate that space-flying mice adapt easily to the habitat, propelling themselves freely and actively in their bodies and exploiting all the volume of available space.

One week after launch, some mice showed unique behavior. The youngest were more physically active than their older counterparts.

As the NASA video shows, on the 11th day of their space flight, the mice ran and chased through the habitat. Their movements seemed to float, indicating weightlessness in space. Their "racial" behavior is even transformed into group activity.

The clip also showed a mouse on the other side turning to eat, while another mouse was using his tail to balance and catch food. Another rodent grabbed a cup inside the enclosure with his hind paw to balance and groom himself.

"Rodents quickly adapted to their new weightlessness situation, for example by anchoring in the walls of the habitat with their hind limbs or by lengthening their bodies." This pose resembled that of A mouse on Earth standing on their hind legs to explore their environment, "According to April Ronca, researcher at NASA's Ames Research Center and lead author of the article.

NASA has proven that rodent habitat allows for the conduct of important long-term biological research studies on the ISS.

The study is published in Scientific reports newspaper.

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