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WATER SUPPLY IN SPACE MISSIONS
In 1983, NASA flew six rats in Challenger’s crew cabin for a 6-day test; the cage kept them healthy, but engineers called for a 20% more water safety marginIn 1983, six brave rats embarked on an experimental journey aboard the Challenger shuttle. Their specially designed enclosure ensured prote...
In 2007, ESA sent 3,000 tardigrades into low Earth orbit; after 10 days of vacuum and UV-A/UV-B exposure, 68% revived upon rehydrationKnown for their resilience, tardigrades have astonishingly withstood the harsh conditions of outer space. Their unique protein showcases an...
In 2000, a crew for the first time headed for the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket for four months to prepare ISS facility for researchIn 2000, a crew for the first time headed for the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket for four months to prepare ISS ...
In 2006, NASA and French Space Agency CNES launched a satellite in a joint mission to probe the properties of Earth's thin clouds and aerosolsIn 2006, NASA and French Space Agency CNES launched a satellite in a joint mission to probe the properties of Earth's thin clouds and aeros...
NASA sent a 77-year-old payload specialist back into space in 1998, 36 years after he became the first American to orbit Earth - not just to make history again, but to study how an older human body responds to microgravity, becoming the oldest person ever to fly in spaceJohn Glenn returned to space aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1998. He became the oldest person to travel into space at age seventy-seven. N...
In 2005, NASA flew five thick-toed geckos aboard Foton-M2 for 16 days without food or water; all were recovered with no apparent negative health effectsFive geckos orbited Earth for sixteen days without food or water. Researchers studied how weightlessness affects these cold-blooded animals...
A 1.5-pound squirrel monkey named Goliath was launched into space in 1961; 35 seconds later, his Atlas E rocket was destroyedIn an unfortunate chapter of space exploration, a squirrel monkey named Goliath found himself amidst America's fierce space race. His ill-f...
In 1972, NASA sealed 3 astronauts inside a 20-foot chamber for 56 days to rehearse Skylab; the ground experiment exposed hardware and medical problems before launchIn 1972, three astronauts conducted a remarkable ground simulation, residing in a sealed chamber for a staggering 56 days. This experiment ...
In 2013, Bion-M1 carried land snails in orbit for 30 days; hardware failures killed many other animals, but the snails survivedIn a space mission conducted by Russia in 2013, a tragic outcome ensued as most of the aboard animals, including mice, gerbils, and fish, c...
In 1984, two shuttle-deployed satellites became stranded when their rocket stages failed; months later, Discovery astronauts captured both and returned them to the shuttleIn 1984, a space shuttle mission retrieved two communication satellites left in the wrong orbit. Insurance underwriters funded this unusual...
In 1969, NASA launched Bonnie the monkey for a planned 30 days in orbit; his condition deteriorated after about 8 days, and the mission was ended earlyIn 1969, a brave monkey named Bonnie embarked on a solo space voyage aboard Biosatellite III. Unfortunately, his mission was cut short due ...
Can fish populate space? In 1994, four medaka fish were flown aboard Columbia. They laid 43 eggs; 8 babies were born in space with no gravity. Adult fish, however, forgot to use one organ in their bodyIn 1994, Japanese astronaut Chiaki Mukai was pleasantly shocked to find that new life could indeed be born in space. Four fish he had carri...
America's new moon heroes: Trump honours NASA’s Artemis II crew, unveils Space Academy, eyes Mars nextThe Artemis II astronauts received the nation's highest space honor for their lunar flyby. Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew were recogni...
In 1962, NASA packed 22,900 gallons of water into a Saturn I rocket and deliberately released it 65 miles above Earth to see how water behaved in the upper atmosphereNASA scientists have long explored recycling resources for extended space travel. Plants and microorganisms could help regenerate vital sup...
In 1961, NASA sent Ham the chimpanzee 157 miles above Earth to test whether a primate could work in space; he completed a 16-minute flight and returned safelyChimpanzee Ham made history in 1961 when he soared into space aboard a Mercury-Redstone rocket. His mission aimed to assess the capabilitie...
On STS-51B, NASA flew 24 rats and 2 squirrel monkeys with Spacelab-3; one monkey showed space sickness while the rats returned with muscle lossIn 1985, Challenger carried rats and monkeys to study microgravity's effects. One monkey experienced space sickness, mirroring human astron...
In 2003, NASA launched a 34-inch infrared telescope called Spitzer. For 17 years, it looked through cosmic dust and revealed a hidden universeNASA's Spitzer Space Telescope ended its mission in 2020 after sixteen years. Its infrared observations pierced cosmic dust, revealing hidd...
Can NASA’s Pandora find water on alien worlds? The new mission is now watchingNASA's Pandora satellite has begun observing distant exoplanets to study their atmospheres. This mission aims to separate planetary atmosph...
China delays Chang’e-7 launch: Why the Moon mission was halted just hours before liftoffChina's Chang'e-7 lunar mission launch was abruptly postponed just before liftoff. Officials cited prudence, reliability, and safety as rea...
In 1973, NASA sent about two spiders into space to test web-building without gravity; within days, they adapted and spun complete webs in orbitTwo spiders, Arabella and Anita, flew on Skylab 3 to test web-building in space. Initially disoriented, the spiders eventually adapted to t...