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When it comes to helping NASA scientists better understand the effects of space travel on the human body, fruit flies are the heavyweights of experiments in weightlessness. Because humans and fruit flies share a lot of similar genetic code, they squeeze a lot of scientific value into a conveniently small, light package.\u00a0
Through a new Space Act Agreement between NASA and Axiom Space, the\u00a0Vented Fly Box\u00a0will enable fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. These tiny crew members will join the Axiom Mission 4 crew for scientific investigations on the International Space Station. The goal is to advance research into how spaceflight\u00a0impacts DNA repair, a key factor in astronaut health on long-term space missions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For decades, NASA has iterated and improved these\u00a0specialized habitats\u00a0to safely house generations of fruit flies for their trips to and from space. As the go-to organism for many of its studies, NASA gained unique knowledge and carefully finessed the steps astronauts take to perform the most\u00a0efficient and rewarding life science experiments in space.<\/p>\n
The study is supported by NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley and Axiom Space.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n