China has announced its plan to send zebrafish, a popular aquarium fish, to the Tiangong space station.
A Chinese news outlet reported that the experiment aims to delve into the intriguing interactions between fish and microorganisms within a closed ecosystem while shedding light on astronaut bone loss.
Revealed during the Space Station Science and Application Project Solicitation Seminar in Beijing on July 10, Zhang Wei, assistant to the commander-in-chief of China's manned space engineering space application system, disclosed this groundbreaking initiative.
Why Zebrafish?
According to studies, zebrafish are an exceptional model animal for biomedical research, including studies of biological processes and human diseases, due to their fully sequenced genome, ease of genetic manipulation, high fecundity, external fertilization, rapid development, and nearly transparent embryo.
Additionally, the Chinese experiment builds upon previous research conducted by space agencies, including NASA's Aquatic Habitat (AQH), which was sent to the International Space Station in 2012.
The AQH aimed to study the impact of microgravity on marine life using medaka fish, a small freshwater species native to Japan. While the findings from AQH were insightful, including zebrafish in China's mission opens new avenues of exploration due to their unique characteristics and historical significance in space research.
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Animals in Space Research
Space.com tells us that zebrafish's journey to microgravity dates back to 1976 when they were sent aboard the Soviet Union's Salyut 5 space station during the Soyuz 21 mission.
Surprisingly, Soviet cosmonauts noticed behavioral modifications in the zebrafish due to the microgravity environment, sparking further intrigue in studying these captivating creatures in space.
The decision to study zebrafish in space is not a mere whimsical pursuit; it holds significant promise for human health, particularly in understanding bone loss.
As astronauts embark on long-duration space missions, such as future missions to Mars, their prolonged exposure to microgravity can lead to detrimental effects on bone density, according to recent studies.
By observing how zebrafish respond to microgravity-induced bone loss, scientists hope to gain insights into potential countermeasures to safeguard astronauts' skeletal health during extended space missions.
Moreover, zebrafish being vertebrates offer an unparalleled opportunity for research on the effects of microgravity on bones, which is not feasible with other aquatic species like medaka fish.
While the specifics of the zebrafish experiment and the aquatic apparatus remain under wraps, the scientific community eagerly anticipates the outcomes of this groundbreaking endeavor.
Notably, the use of animals in space research is not novel. The history of sending animals to space can be traced back to 1947, with the tragic flight of the Soviet space dog, Laika, aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957.
The sacrifice of these pioneering animals paved the way for invaluable insights that have advanced our understanding of space physiology and the adaptability of life beyond Earth's atmosphere.
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