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MICROGRAVITY EXPERIMENTS
In 1992, scientists sent 230 hornets into space to see if they could build a nest without gravity; after 8 days, they returned without building oneDuring a 1992 space mission, the Endeavour shuttle became home to 230 hornets, prompting scientists to investigate how these insects build ...
In 2020, NASA put seeds from 11 crops aboard an experimental spaceplane; after months in orbit, scientists brought them back to test whether they could still growIn 2020, NASA put seeds from 11 crops aboard an experimental spaceplane; after months in orbit, scientists brought them back to test whethe...
In 1999, NASA sent 4 ladybugs aboard Columbia for 5 days to chase aphids; the aphids lost their ability to escape by falling, and the ladybugs still caught and ate themIn 1999, four ladybugs embarked on an extraordinary journey aboard the space shuttle Columbia to investigate their predatory habits in a we...
In 2017, a fully automated facility for plant bioscience research was launched to the International Space Station: What NASA studied in space?In 2017, a fully automated facility for plant bioscience research was launched to the International Space Station. The Advanced Plant Habit...
In 2014, ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst wore SpaceTex shirts on the ISS for six months; their fabric data helped inform clothes for future Mars crewsInnovative space experiments have focused on how fabrics can effectively manage astronaut sweat and heat during missions. These studies rev...
In 2014, NASA astronauts used an ordinary tape measure during six-month ISS missions; the Body Measures data later entered requirements for NASA's xEMU spacesuitIn 2014, astronauts aboard the International Space Station conducted body measurements to study the impact of microgravity on human physiol...
In 2025, China sent four mice to Tiangong for about two weeks; one female later produced three litters of 9, 10, and 9 pups after returning to EarthIn a groundbreaking Chinese space experiment, four mice were sent into orbit for two weeks. Remarkably, one female mouse returned and gave ...
In 2025, DLR tested continuous spirulina growth on the ISS for future closed-loop life support; Limnospira indica produced oxygen and edible biomass in microgravityIn a groundbreaking experiment, scientists have successfully cultivated spirulina aboard the International Space Station, paving the way fo...
SpaceX's first Starfall customer is European mission integrator Space CargoSpace Cargo aims to fly in 2028 an orbital reentry flight on the first commercial mission of Starship, which will deploy SpaceX's Starfall ...
In 1997, Japanese researchers flew silkworm eggs on STS-84 to study spaceflight effects; developmental abnormalities were more frequent in the flight samplesSilkworm eggs revealed developmental abnormalities in early space experiments. Later, the Rad Silk investigation examined cosmic radiation'...
In 1999, NASA flew Ceratopteris fern spores on STS-93 to test gravity-guided growth; they germinated normally, but their developmental polarity became randomA NASA experiment examined the growth of fern spores in a zero-gravity environment. The spores showcased continued development, yet their g...
In 2024, ESA flew bouncing hexapods to 256 km on a Swedish sounding rocket; six minutes of microgravity showed how complex grains collide and transfer energyA Swedish rocket successfully launched miniature brass crosses designed for microgravity research. Scientists are investigating how these i...
In 1997, NASA grew Brassica rapa on Mir for 122 days to test a full life cycle; seed-to-seed cycles succeeded, but space-grown seeds were smallerIn an exciting development, researchers have achieved seed-to-seed cycling of plants in microgravity environments, demonstrating gravity in...
In 2015, fruit flies were sent to International Space Station to study how microgravity and the space environment affect the innate immune systemIn 2015, fruit flies were sent to International Space Station to study how microgravity and the space environment affect the innate immune ...
In 1994, NASA flew four Japanese red-bellied newts on STS-65 for nearly 15 days; two adults died, but 32 newt eggs hatchedSpace Shuttle Columbia's 1994 mission studied animal reproduction in zero gravity. Four red-bellied newts and medaka fish were part of biol...
In 1994, 300 young male fruit flies flew for 14.5 days on IML-2; repeated video showed their locomotor activity rose sharply while they were in microgravityIn 1994, fruit flies were launched into space, revealing significantly heightened activity levels in microgravity. These flies aged more ra...
In 1995, NASA sent 30 fertilised Japanese quail eggs to the Mir space station for 16 days; what scientists found after they returned raised new questions about life without gravityIn 1995, NASA launched a fascinating experiment by sending fertilized quail eggs to the Mir space station. The objective was to explore how...
In 1990, the USSR sent six Japanese tree frogs to the Mir space station for an eight-day experiment, where researchers watched them float with all four legs stretched out and their bodies bent backward - then found the frogs improved their ability to land after jumping in microgravitySix Japanese tree frogs journeyed to the Soviet space station Mir in 1990. They spent eight days in microgravity, which allowed researchers...
Nasa scientists grew corn seeds in space and found something strange: How microgravity confused roots & shoots that normally know exactly which way to growNasa scientists grew corn seeds in space: NASA conducted an intriguing experiment on corn seeds grown in the absence of gravity’s guiding f...
In 2003, NASA Marshall tested a dual-pulse laser ignition system for rocket engines; a separate microgravity study examined laser ignition and flame spread in solid fuelNASA engineers have successfully tested an innovative dual-pulse laser ignition system designed for rocket engines. This groundbreaking sys...