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Animal AstronautsA listing of the animals that paved |
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The fifth part of our Animal Astronaut listing shows all animals that were part of biological studies on board the Space Shuttle.
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| Click here to return to part 4. |
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| Rat cage, STS-8. | Astronaut James D. van Hoften examines Student Bee Experiment, STS-41-C. | Astronaut William Thornton observing monkeys, STS-51-B. |
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| Astronaut Mark Lee working on the Frog Embryology Experiment,STS-47. | Technitioan Bill Kroeger, preparing oyster toadfish for STS-90. | Astronaut Blaha with "Chix in Space" incubator, STS-29. |
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| Astronaut Donald A. Thomas examining newts, STS-65. |
Butterfly habitat, STS-93. | Biological Research in Canister (BRIC), STS-107. |
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| Astronaut lan Ramon, taking a web sample from the Spider Habitat, STS-107. | Astronaut Robert Thirsk examining the CSI-03 butterfly habitat, STS-126. |
Spider habitat, STS-134. | ||
| Mammals |
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| Laboratory Mice | Mus musculus | ||
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While rats were the mammals of choice on Space Shuttle missions, the Neurolab mission on STS-90
also carried 18 mice. Number of animals: 18xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Laboratory Rats |
Rattus norvegicus domesticus | ||
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Different breeds of labratory rats were the most common mammals used on the Shuttle. There are a number of different stocks and strains of
lab rats, all essential being the same species but bread for different purposes. Strains used on the Shuttle were
Lewis-Wistar,
Long-Evans,
Sprague-Dawley and
Fischer-344.
Sometimes, the rats were only referred to as "adult", "neonatal" or "albino rats", which could be any of the above. Number of animals: 542xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 23
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Squirrel Monkeys |
Saimiri sciureus | ||
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The third Spacelab Mission (STS-51-B) was the only Space Shuttle mission involving large animals.
Space Shuttle Challenger carried two squirrel monkeys named No. 3165 and No. 384-80 and returned them after seven days.
Number of animals: 2xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1
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| Birds (Eggs) |
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Chicken Eggs |
Gallus gallus domesticus | ||
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An incubator (picture) with 32 chicken eggs for the student project "Chix in Space" was first launched aboard Space Shuttle Challenger on its ill-fated STS-51L mission. The experiment was later
carried on STS-29. Of the returned eggs, nine chicken hatched; the first one was named Kentucky after
sponsor KFC. The incubator was used again in a joint experiment with Japan during the Spacelab J1 mission on STS-47. Number of animals: 108xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 3 |
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Quail Eggs |
Coturnix japonica | ||
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An incubator with 32 quail eggs was carried on STS-71. 16 eggs were kept in zero gravity, while the
other 16 were exposed to 1g artificial gravity. Number of animals: 36xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
| Amphibia |
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African Clawed Frog |
Xenopus laevis | ||
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Four African clawed frogs were part of experiments during the Spacelab J1 mission on STS-47.
Number of animals: 4xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Japanese Fire Belly Newts |
Cynops pyrrhogaster | ||||
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Four Japanese fire belly newts were part of experiments during the Spacelab IML-2 mission on STS-65. Two
of the newts died during the flight. There were also observations of the eggs laid by female newts during the flight. Number of animals: 4xxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
| Fish |
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Japanese Koi |
Cyprinus carpio | ||
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Four Japanese koi (a colored version of carp) were part of experiments during the Spacelab J1 mission on STS-47.
Number of animals: 4xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Medaka |
Oryzias latipes | ||||
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During the Spacelab IML-2 mission on STS-65, four Japanese rice fish, also called Medaka were the
fish were the first vertebrate to mate and lay eggs in space.
in space and to produce healthy offspring in zero gravity.
Four Medaka eggs were also carried on STS-107, the last flight of the space shuttle Columbia. Number of animals: 8xxxxxxNumber of flights: 2 |
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Oister Toadfish |
Opsanus tau | ||
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In addition to rats, mice, snails, crickets and swordtail fish, the the Neurolab mission on STS-90
also carried four oister toadfish. Another set of four oister toadfish was part of STS-95. Number of animals: 8xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 2 |
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Swordtail Fish |
Xiphophorus hellerii | ||
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In addition to rats, mice, snails, crickets and oister toadfish, the the Neurolab mission on STS-90
also carried 229 swordtail fish. Number of animals: 229xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
| Cnidaria |
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Moon Jellyfish |
Aurelia aurita | ||
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The first Spacelab mission Spacelab SLS-1 /
STS-40 carried 2,500 Moon Jellyfish, encased in flasks and surrounded by seawater.
A second batch of jellyfish was carried on the Spacelab IML-2 mission on STS-65. Number of animals: thousandsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 2 |
| Mollusca |
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Freshwater Snails |
Biomphalaria glabrata | ||
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STS-89, the eights Shuttle-Mir mission carried the Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System, containing
freshwater snails to the Mir Space Station.
A second batch of 135 snails was part of the the Neurolab mission on STS-90. Freshwater snails were also carried on STS-107, the last flight of the space shuttle Columbia. Number of animals: hundredsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 3 |
| Insects |
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Western Honey Bees |
Apis mellifera | ||
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A total of 3,400 honey bees and a queen traveled on board STS-41-C in a Bee Enclosure Module as
part of a student experiment called "A Comparison of Honeycomb Structures built by Apis mellifera."
The queen filled the combs with 35 eggs, but non of them would hatch when returned to earth. Number of animals: 3,400xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Tobacco Hornworm |
Manduca sexta | ||
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Tobacco hornworms are the larvae of the tobacco hawk moth. They were first carried during the STS-70
flight. Pupa of the larvae were carried on STS-77 Number of animals: ?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 2 |
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House Cricket |
Acheta domesticus | ||
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Part of the STS-90 Neurolab mission was the investigation of the behavior of the external gravity
sensor of crickets. 824 young crickets and 690 eggs expected to hatch during the flight were stored in the Botany Experiment Incubator.
Number of animals: 1514xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Ladybug |
Coccinella septempunctata | ||
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On board STS-93, a student experiment designed by a girls-school in Chile investigated the predatory behavior of ladybugs (predator) and
aphids (prey) in zero gravity.
Number of animals: 4xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Painted Lady Caterpillars |
and Butterflies |
Vanessa cardui | |||
.jpg) |
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On board STS-93, a student experiment designed by a school in Albany, Georgia investigated the metamorphosis of five painted lady butterflies from caterpillar through
crysalis to butterfly in zero gravity.
A large group of caterpillars was delivered to the ISS by STS-126 as part of a student project. Number of animals: ?xxNumber of flights: 2 |
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Fruit Fly Larvae |
and Flies |
Drosophila melanogaster | |||
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The effects of space flight on nervous system development and neuromuscular synapse formation in the embryos and larvae of
fruit flies were investigated on
STS-93,
STS-106 and
STS-107.
On STS-134, fully grown flies were carried to seerve as food for spiders and to observe their behavior in zero gravity. Number of animals: ?xxNumber of flights: 4 |
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Carpenter Bees |
Xylocopa violacea | ||
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Four Carpenter Bees were part of a student project on board STS-107
Number of animals: 4xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Harvester Ants |
Pogonomyrmex spp. | ||
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Investigating the tunneling behavior of Harvester Ants in zero gravity was part of a
student project on board
STS-107
Number of animals: 15xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Silkworm |
Bombyx mori | ||
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Five Silkworms, the larva or caterpillar of the domestic silkmoth and three cocoons were part of a Chinese student project on board
STS-107.
Number of animals: 8xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Monarch Butterfly |
Danaus plexippus | ||
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A large group of caterpillars was delivered to the ISS by STS-126 as part of a
student project.
Number of animals: ?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
| Arthropods |
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Australian Orb Weaver |
Eriophora biapicata | ||
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Eight Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spiders were part of a student project
on board STS-107.
Students called their spiders "spidernauts; the spider in the picture was named Slayer. Number of animals: 8xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Furrow Spider |
Larinioides patagiatus | ||
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One of two spiders as part of a student project
on board STS-126. This type of spider was selected specifically for the symmetry of their web formation. Number of animals: 1xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Labyrinth Orbweaver |
Metepeira labyrinthea | ||
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One of two spiders as part of a student project
on board STS-126. This type of spider was selected specifically for the symmetry of their web formation. Number of animals: 1xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
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Golden Orbweaver |
Nephila clavipes | ||
_female.jpg) |
Two Golden Orbweaver spiders named Gladys and Esmeralda were brought to the ISS on board of STS-134.
Number of animals: 2xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
| Nematoda |
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Roundworms |
Caenorhabditis elegans | ||
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Six canisters, each holding eight Petri dishes with nematode were part of the experiments at STS-107.
When the space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during landing on February 1, 2003, the worms turned out to be the sole survivors of the disaster. Roundworms were carried again for a middle school project on STS-116. On STS-134 Roundworms were used to help calibrate a light microscope aboard the International Space Station. Some of the roundworms being used for that experiment were direct descendants of individuals that survived the space shuttle Columbia accident in 2003. Number of animals: hundredsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 3 |
| Tactopoda |
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Tardigrade |
Milnesium tardigradum | ||
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Tardigrades were part of the Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment (LIFE)
experiment conducted by the Planetary Society on board STS-134. The experiment was meant to be a rehearsal for a similar, though larger experiment to be carried out during the Fobos-Grunt mission, which failed in 2011. Number of animals: ?xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNumber of flights: 1 |
| Microorganisms |
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Deinococcus radiodurans This extremophilic bacterium - one of the most radiation-resistant organisms known - was part of the Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment (LIFE) experiment conducted by the Planetary Society on board STS-134. Number of flights: 1 |
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Bacillus subtilis This extremophilic bacterium was part of the Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment (LIFE) experiment conducted by the Planetary Society on board STS-134. Number of flights: 1 |
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Haloarcula marismortui This extreme halophilic archaea was part of the Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment (LIFE) experiment conducted by the Planetary Society on board STS-134. Number of flights: 1 |
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Pyrococcus furiosus This extremophilic hyperthermophile archaea was part of the Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment (LIFE) experiment conducted by the Planetary Society on board STS-134. Number of flights: 1 |
| Part 5.1 shows a list of all space shuttle missions that carried animals of any kind. |
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| Click here to move on to part 5.1. |
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