Fish in space!

Wed 22nd Aug, 2012

Fish in aquariums are a favorite for relaxation and hobby, at least here on Earth. Now, researchers from the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) are sending aquarium fish to the International Space Station (ISS), not so much for recreation, but to address some serious biological questions related to how microgravity affects marine life. ISS is a research laboratory first launched in 1998, where a crew of international scientists conduct research on biology, physics, astronomy, among other fields. 

The 32 fish, expected to join the space station in October, will be part of various research topics, such as bone degradation and muscle atrophy. 

"We think studies on bone degradation mechanisms and muscle atrophy mechanisms are applicable to human health problems, especially for the aging society." said Nobuyoshi Fujimoto, associate senior engineer at JAXA.

For more information, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/aquatic.html.

 


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