Profiles & Overviews | Flight Hardware

Key Research Questions

• What developmental mechanisms have evolved to be dependent on the 1 G-gravity field and vector?
• Which responses are transmitted maternally and which are intrinsic to the developing embryo?
• What are the results of altered gravity fields on the axis polarity and symmetries of the zygote?
• How does gravity affect organogenesis and the development of anatomical structures?
• How do specific organs and tissues respond developmentally to altered gravity?
• In the period of rapid-natal growth, which systems are the most sensitive to altered gravity perturbations?
• Are there critical windows of susceptibility for developmental processes, or is development affected in a gradient?

Experiment/Mission Information

Experiment Information from the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive

Source: NASA Life Science Data Archive   Format: HTML

Description: This link to the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive provides a list of relevant descriptions of flight experiments investigating Developmental Biology.

Mission Information from the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive

Source: NASA Life Science Data Archive   Format: HTML

Description: This link to the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive provides a list of relevant descriptions of space flight missions that carried experiments investigating Developmental Biology.

Profiles & Overviews

A Critical Period for Vestibular Development

Source: Spaceline   Format: PDF
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Description: This article profiles an experiment that determined there is a critical period in the development of zebrafish, in which normal gravity must be experienced in order for the vestibular system to develop properly. (Posted on 11/03)

Avian Development Facility

Source: NASA   Format: HTML
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Description: The Avian Development Facility provided researchers the opportunity to study embryonic development in various avian species. This article profiles the hardware and the research conducted on the STS-108 mission, which focused on vestibular and skeletal development in quail. (Posted on 7/04)

Developmental Biology Factsheet

Source: ASGSB   Format: HTML
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Description: This factsheet offers a brief overview of current NASA research into developmental biology. This research benefits long-term space missions as well as the understanding of fundamental human development processes. (Posted on 7/00)

Gravity Affects Sperm Function and Fertilization

Source: Spaceline   Format: PDF
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Description: This article profiles the research conducted on two Space Shuttle missions and in ground experiments that showed that sea urchin sperm function and fertilization were affected by both microgravity and hypergravity environments. (Posted on 8/03)

Role of Gravity in Mammalian Development

Source: Spaceline   Format: PDF
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Description: This article highlights space flight research that explores the role of gravity in mammalian development. (Posted on 8/03)

Flight Hardware

Frog Environmental Unit

Source: NASA
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Description: The Frog Environmental Unit, a habitat for adult and embryonic frogs that enabled studies of microgravity's effect on development, was flown on the Spacelab-J payload on the STS-47 mission. (Excerpt from Life into Space 1991-1998) (Posted on 01/01)

Jellyfish Kits

Source: NASA
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Description: The Jellyfish Kits, flown on the Spacelab Life Sciences 1 payload on the STS-40 mission, was developed to support jellyfish polyps and ephyrae used in developmental and behavior studies. (Excerpt from Life into Space 1991-1998) (Posted on 01/01)

Rana Experiment Package

Source: NASA
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Description: The Rana Experiment Package, flown on Gemini and U.S. Biosatellite missions, supported frog eggs used to study the effects of microgravity on development. (Excerpt from Life into Space 1965-1990) (Posted on 12/00)

Sea Urchin Egg Package

Source: NASA
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Description: The Sea Urchin Egg Package, designed to study microgravity effects on fertilization and development, flew on Gemini III. (Excerpt from Life into Space 1965-1990) (Posted on 12/00)