National Aeronautics and Space Administration

A Researcher’s Guide to:

Rodent Research

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This International Space Station (ISS) Researcher’s Guide is published by the NASA 

ISS Program Science Office.

Authors: 

Richard Mains, Sharon Reynolds, Mains Associates, Berkeley, Calif

Patricia Larenas, Intrinsyx, NASA’s Ames Research Park, Moffett Field, Calif 

Michelle Hing, Intrinsyx, NASA’s Ames Research Park, Moffett Field, Calif

Executive Editor: Amelia Rai

Technical Editor: Neesha Hosein

Designer: Cory Duke

Cover and back cover: 

a. A laboratory mouse in which a gene affecting hair growth has been knocked out (left) is shown next 

to a normal lab mouse. (Image credit: National Institutes of Health) 

b. Back cover: View of the habitat unit of the Rodent Research experimental platform for the ISS. 

(Image credit: NASA/Dominic Hart.) 

c. Back cover: Photo of a developing mouse embryo. (Image credit: National Institutes of Health)

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An astronaut performs ISS operations in support of the Rodent Research-1 validation flight in late 2014. The 

Microgravity Science Glovebox is utilized to receive mice removed from the Animal Access Unit (blue unit in 

background) after being humanely euthanized. Tissues are harvested, frozen, and transported to Earth for analysis. 

(Image credit: NASA) 

Soaring 250 miles above Earth, the ISS is a modern wonder of the world, 

combining the efforts of 15 countries and thousands of scientists, engineers 

and technicians. The ISS is a magnificent platform for all kinds of research 

to improve life on Earth, enable future space exploration and understand the 

universe. This researcher’s guide is intended to help potential researchers 

plan experiments that would be exposed to the space environment, while 

externally attached to or deployed from the ISS. It covers all the pertinent 

aspects of the space environment, how to best translate ground research to 

flight results and lessons learned from previous experiments. It also details 

what power and data are available on the ISS in various external locations.

The Lab is Open

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1. Microgravity, or weightlessness, alters many observable phenomena 

within the physical and life sciences. Systems and processes affected by 

microgravity include surface wetting and interfacial tension, multiphase 

flow and heat transfer, multiphase system dynamics, solidification, and 

fire phenomena and combustion. Microgravity induces a vast array of 

changes in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans, including global 

alterations in gene expression and 3-D aggregation of cells into tissue-like 

architecture.

2. Extreme conditions in the ISS environment include exposure to extreme 

heat and cold cycling, ultra-vacuum, atomic oxygen, and high energy 

radiation. Testing and qualification of materials exposed to these extreme 

conditions have provided data to enable the manufacturing of longlife reliable components used on Earth as well as in the world’s most 

sophisticated satellite and spacecraft components.

3. Low Earth orbit at 51degrees inclination and at a 90-minute orbit 

affords ISS a unique vantage point with an altitude of approximately 240 

miles (400 kilometers) and an orbital path over 90 percent of the Earth’s 

population. 

This can provide improved spatial resolution and variable lighting 

conditions compared to the sun-synchronous orbits of typical Earth 

remote-sensing satellites.

Unique Features of the ISS 

Research Environment

1. Microgravity, or weightlessness, alters many observable phenomena 

within the physical and life sciences. Systems and processes affected by 

microgravity include surface wetting and interfacial tension, multiphase 

flow and heat transfer, multiphase system dynamics, solidification, and 

fire phenomena and combustion. Microgravity induces a vast array of 

changes in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans, including 

global alterations in gene expression and 3-D aggregation of cells into 

tissue-like architecture.

2. Extreme conditions in the ISS space environment include exposure to 

extreme heat and cold cycling, ultra-vacuum, atomic oxygen, and highenergy radiation. Testing and qualification of materials exposed to these 

extreme conditions have provided data to enable the manufacturing of 

long-life reliable components used on Earth as well as in the world’s most 

sophisticated satellite and spacecraft components.

3. Low-Earth orbit at 51 degrees inclination and at a 90-minute orbit 

affords ISS a unique vantage point with an altitude of approximately 240 

miles (400 kilometers) and an orbital path over 90 percent of the Earth’s 

population. This can provide improved spatial resolution and variable 

lighting conditions compared to the sun-synchronous orbits of typical 

Earth remote-sensing satellites.

Unique Features of the ISS 

Research Environment

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Microgravity as a Research Tool: Using the ISS as a Laboratory 7

Rodents in Space 9

Opportunities on the ISS National Laboratory for Rodent Research 9

Results from Rodent Microgravity Research on the Space Shuttle and ISS 11

Lessons Learned 14

Rodent Habitat Facilities: How to Choose and Use Them 16

The Rodent Habitat: Housing on the ISS 16

Rodent Transporter - Delivery to ISS 18

Animal Access Unit (AAU) - Rodent Access/Transfers on ISS 19

Experiment Support Facilities: Capabilities Aboard ISS 20

Sample Preservation and Sample Return 22

Experiment Unique Equipment 23

Rodent Research ISS Operations Scenario 24

Developing and Flying Research on the ISS 26

Conducting Space Research: The ISS Environmental Conditions 26

Microgravity 26

Radiation Exposure 26

Ambient Gas Concentrations and Pressure 27

Experiment Accommodation on the ISS 27

Developing Your Spaceflight Experiment 28

Principal Investigator Role and Responsibilities 28

Implementation Team Role and Responsibilities 28

Definition, Documentation & Testing of a Spaceflight Experiment 29

Development of Spaceflight Experiment Requirements 29

Science Ground Testing 29

Ground Controls 30

Hardware Biocompatibility Tests 30

Project Integrated Tests 30

Conducting a Spaceflight Experiment: Payload Flight Operations 31

NASA’s Safety Policy 32

Flight Safety 32

Ground Safety 32

Animal Welfare 33

Funding Opportunities/Points of Contact 33

Citations 34

Appendix 37

Animal Enclosure Module (AEM): A Brief History 37

Recent Rodent Flight Experiments 37

Acronyms 41

Table of Contents

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The International Space Station provides a unique environment in which to study 

the effects of microgravity and the space environment on various organisms. Rodents 

(rats and mice) are the animal models most commonly used to study fundamental 

biological processes in space: predominately rats, followed by mice. The National 

Research Council’s (NRC) 2011 Decadal Survey Report titled “Recapturing a 

Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era” 

(http:www.nap.edu/catalog/13048.html) addressed the importance of rodent 

research models. The Report states “It is now recognized that habitation of the 

microgravity environment poses potential deleterious consequences for essentially 

all the organ systems of the body.” Given that human astronauts and cosmonauts 

routinely spend 180 days or longer on the ISS, that amount of time represents a 

significant portion of the lifespan of a rodent. Studies with rodents in space have 

been useful and important for extrapolating the implications for humans living in 

space and more work remains to be done (National Research Council [U.S.], 2011).

One example is the leveraging of current technology such as using genetically 

engineered mice in flight experiments to investigate the molecular mechanisms of 

bone loss that occurs during exposure to microgravity for possible pharmacological 

intervention. NASA is particularly interested in studies that enable a better 

understanding of how mechanisms governing homeostasis at the genetic, molecular 

and cellular levels are integrated to regulate adaptation to spaceflight at the 

physiological system or whole-animal level. 

Microgravity as a 

Research Tool: Using the 

ISS as a Laboratory

Figure 1. Mission Specialist Dan Barry checks the status of the Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment/National 

Institutes of Health-Rodents experiment on Space Transportation System (STS)-72 conduced in the middeck with the 

Animal Enclosure Module. 

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The NRC Decadal Survey Report serves as guidance for research goals and a map to 

chart the path forward. The following is an excerpt from a recent NASA Research 

Announcement (NRA; NASA, 2013) referencing this path:

Representative research areas identified in the Decadal Survey aligned with Rodent 

Research include:

• Specific mechanisms of bone mass regulation.

• Basic mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle protein balance during changes in 

gravity.

• Fracture repair and wound healing.

• Long-term studies addressing the preservation and reversibility of bone loss 

including the evaluation of new osteoporosis drugs under clinical development.

• Sensorimotor and neural mechanisms.

• Long-term studies of the combined environmental factors of spaceflight on 

mammalian physiology (i.e., microgravity, radiation, closed systems).

• Recovery after long-term exposure to unloading or other factors of the space 

environment.

• Effects of long-term exposure to unloading or other factors of the space 

environment on processes of development, reproduction and aging.

• Effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular system and fluid balance.

Selection of the rodent species and strain to be used for proposed studies should 

be optimized to test specific hypotheses. Consideration should also be given to 

the ease with which results can contribute to broader, systems-level understanding 

of physiological changes that are due to causes other than gravitational unloading 

and microgravity, e.g., stress, injury, and disease. Proposers should, where possible, 

consider the use of standardized microgravity analogs and hyper-gravity models to 

address proposed hypotheses, such as hind-limb unloading, other disuse models and 

centrifugation (Morey-Holton and Globus, 2002). 

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Opportunities on the ISS National Laboratory for 

Rodent Research

NASA NRAs are managed through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated 

Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). This Web-based system supports 

NASA research from the release of solicitation announcements through the peer 

review and selection processes (http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/index.do). 

NASA’s selection of research projects is guided by recommendations of the National 

Research Council’s 2011 Decadal Survey Report titled “Recapturing a Future for 

Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era” (http:www.

nap.edu/catalog/13048.html). The NASA-developed “Fundamental Space Biology 

Science Plan” provides an implementation strategy and roadmap based on NRC 

recommendations and available flight and fiscal resources (http://www.nasa.gov/

exploration/library/esmd_documents.html). 

Additional research opportunities are available at the Center for the Advancement 

of Science in Space (CASIS, http://www.iss-casis.org/Home.aspx), which manages 

researcher access to the ISS U.S. National Laboratory (NL). In addition to formal 

Requests for Proposal that identify targeted areas of research and technology 

development, CASIS also facilitates and accepts unsolicited proposals from any 

U.S.-based academic or commercial investigators and investigators from other U.S. 

government agencies at any time. The selection of research projects by CASIS is 

guided by the CASIS mission to enable and increase utilization of the ISS National 

Lab as a unique platform for scientific discovery, technology development, and 

education for the benefit of life on Earth.

Some resources are identified below that are especially useful to researchers who 

plan to propose experiments to NASA and/or CASIS on the ISS with animal 

models, including rodent research. Reference sources are provided in the Citations 

section. In addition, investigators may contact CASIS for additional information on 

flight research opportunities and flight resources for support of rodent research on 

the ISS National Lab at info@iss-casis.org. 

Rodents in Space

Solicitations

(NSPIRES, CASIS)

Principle

Investigator Selection Peer & TechnicalReview

Figure 2: Proposals submitted for NASA’s research opportunities undergo scientific and technical review.

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A detailed catalog of previous, current, and proposed experiments, facilities, 

and results, including investigator information, research summaries, operations, 

hardware information, and related publications is available at www.nasa.gov/issscience through the NASA ISS Program Office. Additionally, details pertaining 

to research previously supported by the Space Life and Physical Sciences Research 

and Applications Division of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission 

Directorate can be located in their Division “Task Book” in a searchable online 

database format at: https://taskbook.nasaprs.com/Publication/welcome.cfm.

The online NASA Research Announcement Guidebook for Proposers 

(NASA, 2013).

Information about spaceflight experiments with rodents can be found in the 

following publications:

Fundamentals of Space Biology: Research on Cells, Animals, and Plants in Space 

(Clément and Slenzka, 2006). The authors provide a comprehensive overview of 

space biology with explanations and background regarding different organisms and 

research questions. The book also includes descriptions of experiment hardware, 

facilities, and different spaceflight vehicles and platforms, as well as a chapter on 

radiation biology.

Experimentation with Animal Models in Space, Volume 10 of the series Advances in Space 

Biology and Medicine (Sonnenfeld, 2005). This collection of review articles covers a 

variety of animals, including rodents. Importantly, the ground-based rodent hindlimb unloading model is discussed. Mouse infection models for immunology studies 

and rodents as models to study the skeletal effects of spaceflight are also mentioned.

Neurolab: Final Report for the NASA Ames Research Center Payload (Maese and 

Ostrach, 2002). The Neurolab Spacelab Mission flew on Space Shuttle Columbia 

(STS-90) in 1998 as the last Spacelab mission and included human and animal 

experiments focused on neurosciences. This report focuses mostly on the science 

but also includes profiles of the hardware and flight operations and includes lessons 

learned (problems and recommended solutions) throughout, including some 

recommendations for the ISS era. Neurolab accommodated 12 rodent studies with 

three done in the Animal Enclosure Module (AEM), the precursor to the Rodent 

Habitat profiled below (also see Appendix). The rodent research focus on this mission 

was neuronal plasticity and mammalian development. It was the first STS mission on 

which mice flew, and the first experience with mice in an AEM. It was also the first 

mission where a portable glovebox (the Access and Transfer Unit) was attached to an 

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AEM and rodents were moved into the STS General Purpose Work Station (see Fig. 

11 below for ISS version) for conduct of specific experiment procedures. 

Results from Rodent Microgravity Research on the Space 

Shuttle and ISS 

Rodent spaceflight experiments have provided a broad range of results pertinent 

to biomedicine applications including the neurology, muscle physiology, bone 

physiology, cardiovascular and developmental biology disciplines. Historically, the 

platforms and vehicles used to transport these payloads to the space environment 

have been varied, from the Russian Bion/Cosmos spacecraft launched with Soyuz 

rockets, to NASA’s space shuttle. Most often used currently is the SpaceX Dragon 

capsule that provides transport to the ISS, the first international essentially 

continuous orbiting science laboratory (Fig. 3). The ISS offers a platform for 

longer-term experiments in microgravity with enhanced capabilities for carrying out 

investigations in space.

To date, rodent spaceflight experiments have contributed significantly to our 

understanding of the effects of microgravity on biological processes that are directly 

relevant to humans in space. The following highlights show a range of results from 

rodent spaceflight experiments (Table 1) are discussed in more detail in NASA’s 

Fundamental Space Biology Science Plan (http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/

library/esmd_documents.html): For example, a rodent experiment on Cosmos 

782/Bion3 investigating hematopoietic mechanisms in microgravity resulted in 

the first observation of programmed death (apoptosis) of newly formed red blood 

cells. Importantly, this finding was subsequently validated in human subjects. 

Experiments on STS-40/Space Life Sciences (SLS)-1 and STS-58/SLS-2 revealed 

that in rodent subjects, the nerve connections between hair cells of the inner ear 

and the brain increased dramatically in microgravity and decreased shortly after 

return to Earth, demonstrating the neuroplasticity of peripheral nerves. 

Findings from many experiments in space and in ground-based microgravity analog 

models have clarified the impact of exposure to microgravity on bones and muscles 

including the following examples:

• In growing animals, certain muscles and bones stop growing at their normal rate 

while others actually lose mass. 

• Several specific changes found in the ground-based rodent unloading model are 

similar to those noted during spaceflight. 

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• Decreased synthesis of new tissues is as important as the destruction of existing 

bone/muscle mass. 

• A decreased rate of bone healing was found in both flight rats and ground controls 

with hind-limb unloading, compared to ground controls. 

Table 1: Selected NASA experiments with rodents flown on the space shuttle. See associated references (when 

available) in Citations section. 

Mission P.I. Experiment Title (and Citation) Species

STS-108 Ted A. Bateman, 

Louis S. Stodieck,

Paul Kostenuik

Effects of Osteoprotegerin on Bone 

Maintenance in Microgravity (NASA, 

2014a)

Mus musculus

STS-118 Virginia L. Ferguson, 

Louis S. Stodieck,

HQ Han,

Daila S. Gridley, 

Michael J. Pecaut

Examination of Myostatin Inhibition 

for Treatment of Spaceflight-Induced 

Muscle Loss in Mice

(NASA, 2014b)

Mus musculus

STS-135 Ronald J. Midura Space Flight’s Affects on Vascular 

Atrophy in the Hind Limbs of Mice 

(NASA, 2014c)

Mus musculus

STS-135 Virginia L. Ferguson,

Louis S. Stodieck

Mary L. Bouxsein,

Chris Paszty

Assessment of Anti-Sclerostin Antibody 

as a Novel Anabolic Therapy for 

Prevention of Spaceflight-induced 

Skeletal Fragility in Mice 

(NASA, 2014d)

Mus musculus

STS-135 Roberto Garofalo Effect of Space Flight on Lung Gene and 

Protein Expression Profiles

Mus musculus

STS131/135Millie HughesFulfordEvaluation of Changes in Thymus and 

Spleenocytes After Spaceflight

Mus musculus

STS-131 / 

BSP

David Fitzgerald The Response of Articular Cartilage to 

Microgravity (Fitzgerald and 

Moscibrocki, 2012)

Mus musculus 

STS-90 / 

Neurolab

Charles A. Fuller CNS Control of Rhythms and 

Homeostasis During Space Flight 

(Campbell et al., 2005)

Rattus norvegicu

STS-90/ 

Neurolab

Kenneth M. Baldwin Neural Thyroid Interaction on Skeletal 

Isomyosin Expression in Zero-G 

(Adams et al., 2000)

Rattus norvegicu

STS-77/ 

Immune.3

Robert Zimmerman Confirmation of Ability of SustainedRelease Insulin-like Growth Factor 

I (IGF-I) to Counteract the Effect of 

Space Flight on the Rat Immune and 

Skeletal Systems (Bateman et al., 1998)

Rattus norvegicu

STS-70/

NIH.R2

Jeffrey R. Alberts Spaceflight Effects on Mammalian 

Development (Alberts and Ronca, 

1997)

Rattus norvegicu

STS-66/

NIH.R1

Gerald Sonnenfeld Effect of Spaceflight on Development 

of Immune Responses (Ronca, 2003; 

Sonnenfeld et al., 1998)

Rattus norvegicu

STS-58/

SLS-2

Albert T. Ichicki Regulation of Erythropoiesis During 

Spaceflight (Allebban et al., 1996)

Rattus norvegicu

STS-54/

PARE.02

Edwin Miller Influence of spaceflight on the 

production of interleukin-3 and 

interleukin-6 by rat spleen and thymus 

cells (Miller et al., 1995)

Rattus norvegicu

STS-40/

SLS-1

Danny Riley Contractile Properties of Skeletal 

Muscles (Riley et al., 1996)

Rattus norvegicu

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A list of rodent experiments from the recent STS-131, 133 and 135 missions, 

including those conducted under NASA’s Biospecimen Sharing Program, is 

provided in the Appendix.

NASA’s Life Sciences Data Archive provides additional information on spaceflight 

experiments at http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/. NASA’s Biospecimen Sharing Program 

provides access to available tissue samples from spaceflight experiments. These can 

be requested via the User’s Guide for Requesting NASA data at http://lsda.jsc.nasa.

gov/common/dataRequestFAQ.aspx, by selecting the Animal Tissues sub-section. 

Figure 3. NASA’s Destiny Laboratory delivered to the ISS by the space shuttle in 2001. (Credit: NASA.)

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Experiments conducted in space require specialized hardware, or habitats, for animals 

exposed to the microgravity spacecraft environment. Animal husbandry in space 

poses unique challenges that space experiment hardware is designed to address. 

Examples of this are the ability to successfully access food and water without normal 

gravity and the control of animal waste and odors, at a minimum. Some effects are 

difficult to predict or manage. For example, researchers have observed that rodents 

respond with individual behaviors in the microgravity environment; some are more 

active or passive than their cage mates. The potential impact of the extraordinary 

environmental conditions of space on experimental results must be considered. 

Examples of lessons learned from animal experiments in spaceflight:

• Stresses such as launch, landing, and microgravity and changes in housing, food 

delivery, waste removal, and others can exert strong influences on animals that often 

vary significantly between animals (as with humans).

• Conduct of ground controls is critical to experiment designs, including under 

standard vivaria conditions (lab-type housing/food/water, etc.) and with animals 

under flight-matched conditions including the habitat, food/water, waste collection, 

lighting, airflow, temperature and mission duration. 

• Female rodents produce less odor from urine (Dalton et al., 2003).

• Rodents undergo a period of habituation at the beginning of spaceflight as they 

adapt to the stress of a new environment (as do humans).

– Video collected of mice flown on STS-108, 118 and 135 show that they 

habituate well to microgravity and continue to groom, ambulate easily (and 

were observed to run “laps” within their AEM), and readily obtain access to 

food and water.

– Upon return to Earth following STS-108, 118 and 135 missions, mice visibly 

demonstrated effects of returning to Earth’s gravity that suggested vestibular 

dysfunction.

– As on Earth, group housing of rodents reduces stress and may improve scientific 

outcome measures.

• Researchers demonstrated that in-flight sampling can be critical for interpreting 

spaceflight effects. For example, experiment results indicated that the ability of 

natural killer cells to effectively target pathogens varied depending on whether the 

animals were euthanized after the flight or during flight (Lesnyak et al., 1996).

Lessons Learned

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• Another important insight gained from in-flight sampling was that muscle damage 

observed postflight was actually a post-microgravity landing effect. 

• The amount of time that astronauts can devote to experiment activities is limited so 

experiment procedures must be highly streamlined or automated, as possible.

• Fine motor skills of the flight crew are compromised in the spacecraft environment, 

hence complex manipulations while handling rodents and hardware and conduct of 

lab operations are more time consuming.

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Selection of a habitat facility to house animals during a spaceflight experiment 

will primarily be dictated by the hardware available at the time of experiment 

development. Points to consider in planning an experiment are the species and 

gender to be flown and the number of animals the habitat will comfortably house at 

one time; the duration of the experiment; the data the habitat can provide (video, 

temperature, etc.); and any requirements for crew manipulation of the research 

subjects. 

NASA’s Rodent Habitat, profiled below, will be available to support rodent research 

on the ISS beginning in 2014. This system leverages the experience gained from the 

many space shuttle experiments with rodents that used the AEM (see Appendix). 

Other facilities have also been designed and will be available eventually for use on 

the ISS but are not included here. Currently, NASA and CASIS are supporting 

development of spaceflight experiments that will use Rodent Habitats.

Rodents are typically shared among multiple principal investigators (PIs) and 

others as the compatibility across research studies permits. Therefore, it is very 

important for investigators to minimize the total number of animals required for a 

study without compromising the statistical power of the results. NASA anticipates 

flying 20 to 40 mice or 10 to 20 rats at a time in a payload, or mission. A payload 

could have a single, dedicated investigator, but to maximize science return from 

each payload, NASA may choose to execute multiple experiments in a single 

payload, including sharing tissues (Biospecimen Sharing Program) among multiple 

investigators. Investigators may also promote tissue sharing among their colleagues. 

When NASA executes multiple investigations in a single payload, care is taken to 

ensure that each experiment is independent and that there are minimal interactive 

effects between experiments. 

Rodent Habitat: Housing on the ISS

To conduct experiments using the Rodent Habitat Hardware System (Fig. 4) 

aboard the ISS, animals first will be transported to orbit in the Transporter. Once 

aboard the ISS, the animals will then be transferred to the Rodent Habitat using the 

Animal Access Unit (AAU), as described in the sections below.

The Rodent Habitat is shown in Fig. 5 with both access doors opened. A functional 

diagram of the Rodent Habitat is shown in Figure 6. 

Rodent Habitat Facilities: 

How to Choose and 

Use Them

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Rodent Habitat capabilities include:

• Single habitats accommodate 10 mice or 5 to 6 rats in either group or dualpartitioned housing.

• Temperature and relative humidity monitoring, but no active thermal control.

• Visual monitoring of group food and water consumption by hand-held video 

during daily crew health checks.

• Video cameras (4), LED lighting (day), and infrared lighting (night) to capture 

animal behavior and activity.

• Animals may be transferred to a clean Rodent 

Habitat after 30 days or more to achieve longerduration missions.

• The Transporter is utilized to bring animals to 

orbit on the ISS.

• Powered by batteries during launch and 

when being moved, and from ISS when rackmounted. Figure 5. Rodent Habitat. Shown with both 

access doors open.

Figure 4. The Rodent Habitat Hardware System. From left: The Rodent Habitat; the Rodent Transporter; and the Animal 

Access Unit.

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Rodent Transporter - Delivery to ISS

Rodents will be delivered to the ISS via the Transporter (Fig 4) aboard the SpaceX 

Dragon and transferred to the Rodent Habitat, once aboard the ISS, by crew 

members trained in animal handling.

Transporter capabilities include:

• Single-unit supports up to 12 rats or 20 mice (double density for transport) in 

group housing (depending on animal size/age).

• No active thermal control.

• Visual observation of food and water only before/after transport.

• Use of a Mouse Transfer Box for transfers between Rodent Habitat System 

elements (Fig.9).

• No return of live animals for first flights.

Figure 6. Functional diagram of Rodent Habitat life support systems, sensors, cameras, and power supplies with 

connections to key ISS interfaces. The Lixit Cameras shown together (point at the rodent drinking valves) are located 

on each side at the back of the cage similar to the two Inlet Filter Cameras in front. 

Rack Interface 

Payload Ethernet

Hub Bridge (PFHB)

Controller (RIC)

CMD / Data

 (Ethernet)

Video (NTSC)

+28 VDC

+12 VDC +5 VDC

AEM-X

Solid-State Power 

Controller Module 

(SSPCM)

Lixit

Cameras 

(2)

Inlet Filter 

Inlet Filter 

Outlet Filter 

Cameras (2)

Blowers (4)

Water Box

Cage

RH/T

Sensors

(2)

Power Conditioning Board

(Temp./Current Sensors)

Control Board

+12 VDC

Temperature

& Current

Data

Temperature Sensors

Power

Video

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Animal Access Unit (AAU) - Rodent Access/Transfers on ISS

The AAU (Fig. 7) will be used to transfer animals from the Transporter to the 

Rodent Habitat and, as warranted, from there to the Microgravity Science 

Glovebox (MSG; Fig. 11) on the ISS.

AAU capabilities include:

• Provides for animal access, as needed, during spaceflight.

• Attaches to either the Transporter or the Rodent Habitat on the ISS for transfer 

activities.

• Used for transfer of animals to the MSG for in-orbit experiment operations 

(Fig 11) by internal transfer to the small Mouse Transfer Box (Fig. 9) that fits 

inside the AAU. 

Figure 7. The AAU provides containment during animal access 

and transfer between the Transporter, Rodent Habitat, and the 

Microgravity Science Glovebox. The bottom of the unit is open to 

provide access to doors in the Transporter and Habitat hardware 

that are opened after the Animal Access Unit is attached. 

Figure 8. The Animal Access Unit (AAU) is attached 

during fit check to the top of the Rodent Habitat. 

The white fabric gloves and gauntlets on the AAU 

openings are used for animal handling to maintain 

containment during animal transfers. 

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Figure 9. The Mouse Transfer Box (MTB) fits inside the Animal Access Unit for transfer of rodents into/from the Rodent 

Habitat and is also placed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox for the same purpose. The MTB on the right is shown 

with the dual lid opened, but it can also be opened half at a time to help sequester animals inside. The MTB on the left 

is shown with a removable fabric cover in place to provide a more secure environment for animals after they are loaded. 

A small, ventilated Mouse Transfer Box (MTB, Fig. 9) is placed inside the AAU 

so when animals are removed from the Rodent Habitat (4-5 at a time) during the 

attachment phase, they can be inserted in the MTB and then transferred to the 

MSG (Fig. 11) for conduct of experiment procedures. The AAU and MSG have 

panel openings appropriate to allow the MTB to function in this way as a contained 

rodent transfer device. In addition to gloves and gauntlets on the AAU that cover 

the hands and arms, there is an attached “sock” device (fabric bag open only to the 

inside of the AAU) that temporarily can hold mice during these transfer procedures, 

as warranted. 

Experiment Support Facilities: Capabilities Aboard ISS

Several additional facilities will eventually be available for use with experiments 

supported by the Rodent Habitat Hardware System on the ISS. Some of the 

currently available items are described below. 

Handheld video (Fig. 10) is also a capability for use with the Rodent Research 

Hardware and associated operations on the ISS, if needed. However, the four video 

cameras built in to the Rodent Habitat (Fig.6) will routinely capture video of 

animals in light and dark conditions. 

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The MSG will support rodent experiment procedures requiring containment 

(Fig. 11). There is a limited working environment within the MSG, and there 

are practical constraints to performing complex procedures in a microgravity 

environment while wearing gloves. 

Blood draws and other simple experimental procedures with rodents will be possible 

within the MSG. However, for any experimental procedures performed on live 

animals, PIs must take into consideration that crew time is limited and procedures 

in microgravity take longer to perform. Rodent euthanasia, anesthesia, general 

dissection, chemical fixation, and tissue preservation capabilities will be possible 

aboard the ISS.

A collection of equipment and supplies designated as Operations Support Hardware 

(OSU) will be provided aboard ISS to support rodent experiment procedures. OSU 

items will include a general dissection kit, an injection kit (with anesthetics for 

non-terminal procedures and materials to 

euthanize animals), and an animal health 

kit to monitor animal health status. 

A Bone Densitometer suitable for 

making whole-body rodent scans (and 

associated body mass measurements) 

is available aboard the ISS provided by 

the developer, TechShot, Inc. (http://

techshot.com). 

Figure 10. Mission Specialist Nicole Stott uses a video 

camera attached to a fabric shroud to record data from 

an Animal Enclosure Module (partially removed from 

its middeck locker) during conduct of procedures for 

the STS-133 Mouse Immunology-2 investigation. 

(Credit: NASA).

Figure 11. The Microgravity Science Glovebox is a sealed 

workspace with built-in gloves (not shown) that safely 

contains fluids, flames, particulates, and fumes, and allows 

handling of small equipment. 

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Sample Preservation and Sample Return

The guidelines below will be followed during the initial Rodent Research ISS 

missions:

• No live animals will be available for return to Earth from early ISS/Dragon 

flight experiments. Live animal return capability will be available on later flights, 

perhaps as early as 2016.

• Animal tissues will be returned in frozen or fixed form.

• Animal tissues will nominally be available to the PI as early as two days after 

Dragon capsule landing.

• Currently, rodent experiments can be planned for approximately 30-day periods 

covering the ascent, docking, and return of the Dragon spacecraft with the 

projected frequency of rodent flights to the ISS being every 4 to 6 months.

Cold-stowage resources for frozen tissues will be available (Table 4) aboard the ISS:

• Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) - has four identical Dewars, 

each of which can be controlled independently at certain set points (as long 

as Dewar 1 is at minus 95 degrees Celsius). The three set points for Dewar 

Cold Storage Resources for ISS Experiments

Table 2. Cold storage capabilities in support of spaceflight experiments, to/from and in orbit.

Active Passive

Unit 

Name

MELFI GLACIER Double ColdbagIce Pack 

Assemblies

Ice Brick 

Assembly

Temp. 

Ranges

-95°C-+2°C -160°C-+4°C -32°C, -21°C, 

-16°C, 0°C, 

+4°C

-32°C, 

-26°C,+4°C

Main 

Use

ISS in-orbit 

cooling, low-temperature science 

storage facility, continuously 

powered when 

supporting science

ISS in-orbit 

cooling, lowtemperature 

science storage 

facility, cold 

stowage transportation to/

from ISS

Passive, 

low-temperature science 

storage for 

transportation 

to/from ISS

Provides cold 

conditioning 

for Coldbag, 

designed to be 

refreezable on 

ISS in MELFI 

and GLACIER 

(brick shape)

Provides cold 

conditioning 

for Coldbag, 

designed to be 

refreezable on 

ISS in MELFI 

and GLACIER 

(cylinder shape

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temperatures are minus 95 degrees Celsius, minus 35 degrees Celsius, and 2 

degrees Celsius; the capacity is 175 liters. 

• General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator (GLACIER) 

- serves as an in-orbit, low-temperature science storage facility as well as coldstowage transportation to and from orbit; it supports a selectable temperature 

range of 4 degrees Celsius to minus 160 degrees Celsius; capacity is roughly 23 x 

16 x 7 cm (2.84 liters). 

• Passive cold systems are used in transport to the ISS such as a cold bag and 

cold pack. 

Experiment Unique Equipment 

Experiment Unique Equipment (EUE), equipment that is unique to a particular 

experiment, may be developed if there is sufficient budget available and should 

be included in the proposal. Examples of EUE are implanted pumps for reagent 

delivery or sensors for monitoring physiological parameters.

Figure 12: Concept of Operations for Rodent Research on the ISS (NASA image).

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Rodent Research ISS Operations Scenario

RR-1 Mission: The first ISS mission of the Rodent Research (RR) Hardware 

System, or Rodent Research-1 (RR-1) for short, will be about 30 days long and use 

only female mice (Roberts, 2014). The RR-1 mission will include both CASIS- and 

NASA-sponsored investigations, but the research aims are secondary to testing and 

demonstrating the hardware and software’s ability to support rodent experiments 

in microgravity. The key objectives are to validate all interfaces and the engineering 

command and controls and verify all processes and crew and hardware operations 

during flight. The primary RR-1 operations are diagrammed in Fig. 12, and 

they will be tested and further defined as they are conducted and adjusted to the 

realities of microgravity and crew-assisted ISS procedures. Lessons from the RR-1 

mission may lead to some modifications, as possible, to hardware, software, related 

operations, and procedures prior to subsequent mission launches. Some generic 

concepts for future operations during early (2014-2015) and later missions (2016 

and beyond) are profiled below. 

RR Preparation and Transportation: The launch site for the SpaceX Dragon 

capsule at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has laboratories and facilities for 

receiving, housing, and preparing animals; however, the PI team will need to supply 

any special equipment, procedures, and other experiment-specific considerations. 

Each RR mission accommodates 40 mice that will be loaded into one of two 

Transporters for integration into the Dragon capsule approximately 12 hours before 

launch. Transportation to the ISS in the SpaceX Dragon capsule should take about 

three to four days, but could take as many as seven. During ascent and berthing 

to the ISS, no video or real-time environmental data downlink is available from 

the hardware, but the environmental data (Total Pressure, Humidity, Temperature, 

p02, pCO2) from the Dragon cabin where the Transporter is housed is transmitted 

via telemetry to the ground. Data sets from the preflight recordings of temperature 

and humidity, as well as telemetry from the Dragon capsule during launch and 

flight, will be used to program an environmental chamber at KSC for ground 

control studies. This chamber provides Temperature, Humidity and pC02 levels 

that match the ISS environment of the flight animals. Also, a set of environmental 

data recorded from the Transporter itself will be available after the Transporter is 

returned to Earth postflight. After the animals reach the ISS, the crew will remove 

them from the Transporter units and transfer them via the AAU into the Rodent 

Habitat units in the ISS U.S. National Lab.

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Habitat Data Monitoring: Scientists can monitor conditions in each Habitat, such 

as temperature and relative humidity that will reflect corresponding conditions 

in the ISS cabin. The crew will visually assess group animal food and water 

consumption at regular intervals and can transfer animals to another habitat if 

required, depending on availability. The PI team will make limited real-time video 

monitoring for health and status available for downlink and analysis. Also, ground 

personnel can schedule video observations during light-dark cycles.

Live Animal Return: Although early ISS flight experiments will not be able to 

return live animals to Earth, live animal return may be available as early as 2016.

RR Ground Controls: NASA will support synchronous ground-based, controlgroup experiments (housed in flight hardware with a controlled environment 

chamber) and in normal vivaria cage conditions. As needed, ground-control 

experiments may be performed on an asynchronous time delay to allow control of 

temperature and other parameters to follow closely actual flight conditions. Specific 

Pathogen Free (SPF) animals will be used for all flight and ground control studies 

(see “Ground Controls” in next major section below). 

Future RR Mission Concepts: RR-1 is scheduled for launch in the Dragon capsule 

on the SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services (CRS)-4 ISS resupply mission in 

2014. A CASIS-sponsored investigation will explore use of the new in-orbit Bone 

Densitometry capability provided by TechShot, Inc. based on dual-energy X-ray 

absorptiometry. RR-2 is scheduled for launch on the SpaceX CRS-6 mission. 

These early missions will include both CASIS- and NASA-sponsored investigations, 

but they will be secondary to demonstrating the hardware’s ability to support 

rodent experiments in microgravity and all associated crew operations. RR missions 

to the ISS U.S. National Lab sponsored by CASIS and NASA are expected to occur 

up to two times per year. Ultimately, the RR facility will be able to 

support rodent studies as long as six months in duration and the return of 

live animals. The NASA Biospecimen Sharing Program will offer the research 

community the ability to maximize science return by utilizing biosamples returned 

to Earth from animals exposed to prolonged periods of microgravity on the ISS. 

Researchers can request specimens to conduct secondary studies that complement 

the original experiment goals.

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Conducting Space Research: The ISS Environmental Conditions

Understanding the key aspects of the ISS research environment is important 

for developing appropriate experiment designs. Three aspects of the internal 

environment are profiled below. 

Microgravity

Objects on the ISS are in free fall and typically experience about one millionth 

of Earth’s gravity. This condition of microgravity is effectively an environment of 

near weightlessness. Gravitational force is not, however, the only force relevant 

to biological experiments in space (DeLombard et al., 2004). Disturbances on 

the ISS may be caused by persistent vibrational forces (e.g., pumps, fans, exercise 

systems) and/or transient operational forces (e.g., valve operation, vehicle berthing 

or docking operations). The magnitude of these impacts on the gravitational 

environment can range from 0.01 g (briefly for a thruster jet) to below one 

millionth of 1 g (prolonged for atmospheric drag in orbit).

For biological experiments, it is important to understand the differences between 

the direct effects of microgravity in which the system perceives changes in the 

gravitational force directly. This includes indirect effects in which the system 

responds not to the lack of gravitational force itself but to changes in the local 

environment induced by the conditions of microgravity. The reduction in 

gravitational forces on biological systems results in decreased buoyancy-driven 

flows, rates of sedimentation, and hydrostatic pressure. In general, fluid dynamics 

are also altered, and there is a near absence of convection in microgravity (National 

Research Council [U.S.]; 2011).

Radiation Exposure 

NASA’s current life sciences goals are focused predominantly on understanding the 

effects of space radiation on humans in space and developing strategies to mitigate 

adverse effects. While there is a large body of existing literature on the effects 

of low-linear energy transfer (LET) radiation such as gamma rays and x-rays on 

biological samples, including data from long-term animal studies, clinical studies, 

and others, the information on radiation of the kind encountered in space (e.g., 

protons and high-LET radiation such as heavy charged ions) is less well-defined 

(National Research Council [U.S.]; 2011). 

Developing and Flying 

Research on the ISS

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Crews aboard the space station receive an average of 80 mSv for a six-month stay 

at solar maximum (the time period with the maximum number of sunspots and a 

maximum solar magnetic field to deflect the particles) and an average of 160 mSv 

for a six-month stay at solar minimum (the opposite condition). Although the type 

of radiation is different, and therefore biological effects may vary depending on the 

biological parameter, one mSv of space radiation is approximately equivalent to 

receiving three chest x-rays. On Earth, we receive an average of two mSv every year 

from background radiation alone.

Ambient Gas Concentrations and Pressure

The air within the ISS is dynamically controlled to be close to the gas 

concentrations and total pressure to our atmosphere on Earth. Nitrogen and 

oxygen are stored in tanks and released automatically based on sensor readings, 

and carbon dioxide is chemically absorbed. 

Experiment Accommodation on the ISS 

Experiment payloads are all held within International Standard Payload Racks 

(ISPRs) within the ISS. Each ISPR consists of an outer shell that provides a set of 

standard interfaces, a support structure, and modular equipment for supporting 

research hardware. Each can accommodate one or several experiments. 

Through the ISPRs, the ISS payload experiments can be provided with the 

following ISS resources available on the U.S. Destiny Laboratory:

• Electrical power

• Thermal control

• Command/data/video

• Vacuum exhaust/waste gas

• Gaseous nitrogen

The Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the Space Station (EXPRESS) 

Rack System is available to support small, sub-rack payloads with power, data, and 

cooling within an ISPR. EXPRESS racks were designed to accommodate payloads 

originally fitted to shuttle middeck lockers and International Sub-rack Interface 

Standard drawers, allowing previously flown payloads to transition easily to flight 

on the ISS (National Research Council [U.S.]; 2011).

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Developing Your Spaceflight Experiment

Several milestones along your experiment development path are described below 

as a NASA-supported process that applies to PIs who are NASA-funded grantees 

(see Section 4 - Opportunities for Research on the ISS, above). However, a similar, 

streamlined process is required for PIs who are not NASA-funded, including CASIS 

grantees, other government grantees, or self-funded commercial entities. In this nonNASA-funded case, PIs are considered participants on the CASIS-managed ISS NL, 

and CASIS and one or more Implementation Partners provide support (http://www.

iss-casis.org/CASISBasics/ForResearchers/DirectoryofImplementationPartners.aspx). 

After undergoing scientific and technical review, when a proposal is accepted as a 

spaceflight candidate, a flight experiment team is formed and the development cycle 

is initiated and proceeds in phases. The PI will be supported by an assigned project 

scientist who functions as the advocate and liaison for the PI and assists with the 

experiment development process.

For optimal use of the limited in-orbit resources, experiments may be combined 

where feasible—for example, those requiring similar biospecimens and hardware. 

Such teams will work together to achieve individual objectives within the bounds 

of constrained resources. These teams may be assigned to a flight and their 

experiments implemented as a group.

Principal Investigator (PI) Role and Responsibilities

The fundamental role and responsibilities of the experiment PI are:

• Defining the basic scientific and operational requirements for the experiment.

• Working with the project team to ensure that research objectives are maintained 

during design, development and flight.

• Completing and submitting the analyzed data and a final report to NASA and 

publishing the results, as appropriate.

• Complying with all safety training, policies and procedures as required by NASA.

Implementation Team Role and Responsibilities

A NASA-provided payload or project manager will lead the spaceflight 

implementation team. The team will work together to manage and implement the 

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phases of the experiment development cycle. The NASA-provided project scientist 

will work directly with the PI throughout this process.

Definition, Documentation and Testing of a 

Spaceflight Experiment

The following is representative of the documentation, testing and information that 

will be required.

To complete a successful experiment in microgravity, a detailed analysis and 

definition of the proposed experiment must be done. All requirements for the 

execution of the experiment must be identified and described and a feasibility 

analysis conducted.

Additionally, the required hardware and resource requirements must be identified 

in detail for all phases: preflight, flight, and postflight, including assessment of 

the maturity of the experiment’s development and the adequacy of financial 

resources required for its conduct. If needed, and resources are available, the design, 

development and manufacture of experiment-unique hardware will be conducted, 

and experiment-hardware interfaces and operations will be verified through testing.

The PI will work with the assigned project scientist to complete all of the required 

phases for development and flight readiness. A series of reviews of the experiment will 

be conducted, including reviews for safety requirements. As per NASA life sciences 

flight experiment management policy, if satisfactory results are not obtained during 

testing, a flight experiment may be deselected and perhaps considered for ground 

research based on peer review or may need to be cancelled altogether.

Development of Spaceflight Experiment Requirements

The foundation of the spaceflight experiment is the clear definition and 

identification of all aspects of the proposed experiment. It is critical that the PI 

work with the project team in a series of activities that are necessary for developing 

the spaceflight experiment.

Science Ground Testing

The project scientist and the flight experiment team will support the PI in defining 

the types of testing that will be required before flight in order to mitigate risks 

and increase the chance of a successful experiment. These tests would include such 

NP-2015-03-016-JSC Rodent-ISS-Mini-Book-2015.indd 29 5/12/15 
30

things as validation of new hardware and practice runs to optimize and streamline 

in-orbit operations. The test results will define requirements, procedures, hardware 

settings and configurations. 

Ground Controls

Proper ground-control experiments are essential for conducting successful and 

scientifically sound spaceflight experiments (see Lessons Learned section, above). 

Rodents, equipment, facilities and staff to support these will be provided, as 

warranted, by NASA. Rodents for both flight and ground-control studies will meet 

the NASA Institutional Review Board guidelines for SPF animals (http://irb.nasa.

gov/docs/nasaCPHS-SpecificPathogenFree.pdf). 

• Synchronous ground-control animal experiments (housed in flight-type hardware 

on the ground) can be supported at NASA. 

• Ground controls with animals may be performed on a time delay (delayed 

synchronous) to allow provision of ambient temperature and other biologically 

significant parameters that closely track actual flight conditions. Appropriate 

flight data will be recorded and made available as a basis for programming an 

environmental test chamber at KSC for this purpose. 

• Vivarium controls can be conducted with animals kept under standard laboratory 

conditions (housing, temperature, light/dark, food/water, etc.) to provide a 

baseline to compare with the synchronous control and the flight-experiment data. 

Hardware Biocompatibility Tests

Hardware biocompatibility testing is warranted in some cases to ensure that rodents 

of different sizes, strains, age or gender than previously flown do not encounter 

unexpected difficulties while housed in payload system hardware under the 

prescribed experimental conditions.

Project Integrated Tests

Integrated testing of expected hardware operations and procedures on the ground 

may be warranted. The experiment team will identify appropriate testing in 

collaboration with the PI.

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Conducting a Spaceflight Experiment: 

Payload Flight Operations

Launching and delivering a life sciences experiment to the ISS requires extensive 

preparation in support of the logistics activities. NASA provides laboratories for 

preflight preparation and postflight experiment activities. All of the laboratory 

equipment that is needed for preflight- and postflight-experiment processing must 

be identified, and specialized equipment may have to be provided by the PI. The 

assigned NASA project scientist will assist and work directly with the PI to provide 

the necessary information and documentation for flight logistics and operations. 

Contingency planning for launch delays is also part of logistics planning.

Typical preflight activities include launch-site facility trial runs for preflightexperiment preparation and processing, astronaut training for in-flight experiment 

operations, and activities supporting transfer of experiment payload elements to 

the launch area. Additionally, trial runs for postflight-experiment activities to be 

conducted in laboratories on the ground upon return of the experiment to Earth 

must be considered.

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32

Safety is NASA’s highest priority. Safety is the freedom from those conditions that 

can cause death, injury, occupational illness, damage to or loss of equipment or 

property, or damage to the environment. NASA’s safety priority is to protect: (1) 

the public, (2) astronauts and pilots, (3) the NASA workforce (including employees 

working under NASA instruments), and (4) high-value equipment and property. All 

research conducted under NASA auspices shall conform to this philosophy (Source: 

NASA NRA).

Flight Safety 

Compliance with all safety requirements per NASA policy must be met.

Biosafety considerations: pathogenic organisms are restricted aboard the ISS; 

proper containment considerations for all live specimens must be met. Mammalian 

research subjects destined for spaceflight must be tested for microbial organisms and 

pathogens before they are approved for flight in order to protect the crew members. 

They are also housed isolated from the crew during spaceflight in order to ensure 

that odors (Dalton et al., 2003) or contaminants do not threaten crew members’ 

health, performance, or comfort. Compliance with chemical and toxicological safety 

considerations must also be satisfied. Certain chemical reagents are restricted aboard 

the ISS; proper levels of containment for all chemicals proposed for experiments 

must be met.

Examples of experiment procedures performed during spaceflight in microgravity are 

STS-58, with the SLS-2 mission where crew members collected blood samples from 

rats, performed injections of labeled albumin into rats, and dissected rats during 

spaceflight. During STS-90, the Neurolab mission, crews successfully performed 

in-flight tissue dissection of rat brains including fixation in a paraformaldehyde 

solution, and minor surgery with anesthesia (administered with insulin syringes) 

on rats to apply a labeling agent to muscles. In each of these cases, extensive studies 

were done on the ground preflight to test all procedures and experiment operations 

(Bateman et al., 2000, 2001; Ross et al., 2001).

Ground Safety

Compliance with all safety requirements and training per NASA policy must be met 

at all ground facilities preflight and postflight.

NASA’s Safety Policy

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Animal Welfare

All rodent research conducted on ISS must be reviewed and approved by the NASA 

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The IACUC assures that 

all animal research conducted in spaceflight meets the requirements of all applicable 

federal regulations and that a comprehensive review of benefits and risks has been 

completed. The flight IACUC documentation will be prepared by the PI with the 

advice of an assigned NASA project science staff member. 

Animal use and care requirements are described in Title 14 of the Code of 

Federal Regulations (CFR) 1232 (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1

&SID=851284de94579b03df32fdc5ce90ef60&ty=HTML&h=L&n=pt14.5.1232

&r=PART).

NASA research announcements are managed through NSPIRES. This Web-based 

system supports NASA research by release of solicitation announcements and 

proposal peer review and selection processes (http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/

index.do). 

Additional research announcements and flight opportunities can be found at 

the CASIS website: http://www.iss-casis.org/Home.aspx. CASIS also encourages 

submission of unsolicited proposals. 

Funding Opportunities/

Points of Contact

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34

Adams, G.R., Haddad, F., McCue, S.A., Bodell, P.W., Zeng, M., Qin, L., Qin, A.X., 

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Ross, A.B., Bateman, T.A., Kostenuik, P.J., Ferguson, V.L., Lacey, D.L., Dunstan, C.R., and 

Simske, S.J. (2001). The effects of osteoprotegerin on the mechanical properties of rat bone. J. 

Mater. Sci. Mater. Med. 12, 583-588.

Sonnenfeld, G. (Ed) (2005). Advances in Space Biology and Medicine: Experimentation With 

Animal Models In Space. (Amsterdam; Boston: Elsevier),10.

Sonnenfeld, G., Foster, M., Morton, D., Bailliard, F., Fowler, N.A., Hakenewerth, A.M., 

Bates, R., and Miller, E.S. (1998). Spaceflight and development of immune responses. J. Appl. 

Physiol. Bethesda Md 1985 85, 1429-1433.

Sung, M., Li, J., Spieker, A.J., Spatz, J., Ellman, R., Ferguson, V.L., Bateman, T.A., Rosen, 

G.D., Bouxsein, M., and Rutkove, S.B. (2013). Spaceflight and hind limb unloading induce 

similar changes in electrical impedance characteristics of mouse gastrocnemius muscle. J. 

Musculoskelet. Neuronal Interact. 13, 405-411.

NP-2015-03-016-JSC Rodent-ISS-Mini-Book-2015.indd 36 5/12/15 
Animal Enclosure Module (AEM): A Brief History

• Original concept developed by students with funding support from a NASA 

contractor. Initial short-duration ground tests done with rats using potatoes for 

food and water.

• NASA’s Ames Research Center (ARC) developed the concept into an AEM for 

integration with the middeck locker module for the STS with an advanced waste 

collection system, solid food bars, water system, laminar airflow, lighting system, 

and more.

• Evolved from a rat habitat to a dam/pup nesting chamber and then also a mouse 

habitat.

• An Animal Access Unit was developed for use with AEM to support ARC rat 

payloads on the STS-90 Neurolab mission (Maese and Ostrach, 2002).

• AEMs have flown on over 25 missions.

• The AEM is the basis for the upgraded NASA “Rodent Research Habitat” 

validation mission that launched to the ISS, September, 2014. 

Recent Rodent Flight Experiments 

The following are spaceflight experiments with mice that were conducted on the 

last three space shuttle flights, STS-131, 133, and 135. Each mission included a 

Biospecimen Sharing Program. Analysis of results from some experiments was still 

in progress at the time of publication of this report. Refer to the NASA Taskbook 

for status of experiment reports at https://taskbook.nasaprs.com/Publication/

welcome.cfm.

Appendix

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STS-131/133/135 Biospecimen Sharing Program

STS-131/133/135 Missions

Rodent Flight Experiments, by Principal Investigator

Investigator Science 

Discipline

Title of Study Research 

Subject

Mission

Ronald J. 

Midura

Muscle 

Physiology and 

Vasculature

Space Flight’s Affects on 

Vascular Atrophy in the Hind 

Limbs of Mice

Mus musculus STS-135

Mary L. 

Bouxsein

Bone 

Physiology

Assessment of Anti-Sclerostin Antibody as a Novel Anabolic Therapy for Prevention 

of Spaceflight-Induced 

Skeletal Fragility in Mice

Mus musculus STS-135

Roberto 

Garofalo

Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

Effect of Space Flight on 

Lung Gene and Protein 

Expression Profiles

Mus musculus STS-135

Millie 

HughesFulford

Immunology Evaluation of Changes in 

Thymus and Spleenocytes 

After Spaceflight

Mus musculus STS-131/13

Biospecimen Sharing Program Experiments, by Principal Investigator

Larry 

Hoffman

Developmental 

Biology; Neurophysiology

Synaptic Plasticity in 

Mammalian Utricle; Synaptic 

Plasticity mammalian 

vestibular maculae

Mus musculus STS-131/13

Maija MednieksCell and 

Molecular 

Biology

Protein Expression in Salivary 

Glands: Effects of Extended 

Space Flight

Mus musculus STS131/133/

135

Alan 

Hargens

Bone 

Physiology

Rodent Spine Deconditioning After 30 Days of 

Microgravity; Rodent Tail 

and Brain Deconditioning 

After 10-15 Days of 

Microgravity

Mus musculus STS131/133/

135

Eduardo 

Almeida

Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

The Role of Artificial Gravity 

in Promoting Tissue-Regenerative Matrix-Integrin-Kinase 

Cell Signaling; The Role of 

the p21/p53 Pathway in 

Spaceflight-Induced Tissue 

Degeneration

Mus musculus STS131/133/

135

Michael Delp Cardiovascular 

Physiology

Regional Arterial Remodeling Induced by MicrogravityMus musculus STS131/133/

135

Joseph Tash Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

Long Term Space Flight 

Impacts on Female Reproductive Health; Long Term 

Space Flight Impacts on 

Male Reproductive Health

Mus musculus STS-131/13

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STS-131/133/135 Biospecimen Sharing Program continued...

Investigator Science 

Discipline

Title of Study Research 

Subject

Mission

Stavros 

Thomopoulos

Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

The Effect of Weightlessness on the Tendon-to-Bone 

Insertion

Mus musculus STS131/133

David 

Fitzgerald

Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

The Response of Articular 

Cartilage to Microgravity; 

Gene Expression Alterations 

in Articular Cartilage, Skeletal 

Muscle and Skin Exposed to 

Microgravity

Mus musculus STS131/133/

135

Richard 

Boyle

NeurophysiologyInner Ear Otoconia Response 

in Mice to Microgravity and 

Hypergravity

Mus musculus STS133/135

Susana 

Zanello

Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

Spaceflight Effects on the 

Mouse Retina: Histological, 

Gene Expression and Epigenetic Changes After Flight

Mus musculus STS-133

Elisabeth R. 

Barton

Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

Skeletal Muscle 

Regeneration

Mus musculus STS-135

Clarence 

Sams

Metabolism 

and Nutrition

Examination of Splenic and 

Thymic Immune Function 

in Mice

Mus musculus STS-135

Scott M. 

Smith

Metabolism 

and Nutrition

Evaluation of the Effect of 

Short Duration Spaceflight 

on Hepatic Nutrition, Oxidative Damage, and Colon 

Microflora

Mus musculus STS-135

V.E. Wotring Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

Effect of Spaceflight on 

Expression of Metabolic 

Enzyme Genes in Mice

Mus musculus STS-135

Hiroki Yokota Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

Unloading-Driven Regulation 

of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 

2 (eIF2) and Genes Linked to 

Integrated Stress Response 

in Mouse Bone Tissues

Mus musculus STS-135

Daila Gridley Cell and 

molecular 

Biology

STS-135 Tissue Request 

for Loma Linda University - 

Thymus

Mus musculus STS-135

Brooke 

Harrison

Muscle 

physiology

Myosins and myomiRs: The 

Effects of Spaceflight on 

Myosin Heavy Chain Gene 

and MicroRNA

Expression in Heart and 

Skeletal Muscle

Mus musculus STS-135

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STS-131/133/135 Biospecimen Sharing Program continued...

Investigator Science 

Discipline

Title of Study Research 

Subject

Mission

Akihiko 

Ishihara

Muscle 

Physiology

Effect of Exposure to 

Microgravity on the Fast-Type 

Neuromuscular Unit

Mus musculus STS-135

Karen 

Jonscher

Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

Does Spaceflight Alter SIRT3 

Activity and Mitochondrial 

Function in the Liver

Mus musculus STS-135

Moshi Levi Renal, Gluid 

and Electrolyte 

Physiology

Spaceflight Effects on Renal 

and Intestinal Transporters 

Associated with Osteopenia 

and Kidney Stone Formation 

and Regulation of Renal Glucose and Lipid Metabolism

Mus musculus STS-135

Xiao Mao Developmental 

Biology

STS-135 Tissue Request 

for Loma Linda University - 

Ocular Tissue; STS-135 

Tissue Request for Loma 

Linda University - Skin 

Tissue; STS-135 Tissue 

Request for Loma Linda 

University - Brain

Mus musculus STS-135

Gregory 

Nelson

NeurophysiologyEffect of Space Flight on 

Neurogenesis

Mus musculus STS-135

Michael 

Pecaut

Immunology Effects of Spaceflight 

Environment on Immune 

Parameters

Mus musculus STS-135

Masahiro 

Terada 

Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

Biomedical Analyses of Mice 

Body Hair Exposed to the 

Space Flight

Mus musculus STS-135

Jian Tian Developmental 

Biology

STS-135 Tissue Request 

for Loma Linda University - 

Lungs

Mus musculus STS-135

Shin-ichi 

Usami 

Cell and 

Molecular 

Biology

The Effect of Microgravity 

on Gene Expression in the 

Vestibular Endorgans

Mus musculus STS-135

Jeffrey Willey Developmental 

Biology

STS-135 Tissue Request: 

Menisci

Mus musculus STS-135

Seward 

Rutkove

Muscle 

Physiology

STS-135 Tissue Request: 

Gastrocnemius (Sung et al., 

2013)

Mus musculus STS-135

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AAU Animal Access Unit

AEM Animal Enclosure Module

ARC NASA’s Ames Research Center

CASIS Center for the Advancement of Science in Space

CRS Commercial Resupply Services

EUE Experiment Unique Equipment

EXPRESS Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the Space Station

GLACIER General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator

IACUC Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

ISPR International Standard Payload Racks

KSC NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

LET Low-Linear Energy Transfer

MELFI Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS

MSG Microgravity Science Glovebox

MTB Mouse Transfer Box

NL National Laboratory

NRA NASA Research Announcement

NRC National Research Council

NSPIRES NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System

OSU Operations Support Hardware

PI Principal Investigator

RR Rodent Research

RR-1 Rodent Research-1 (Rodent Research [RR] Hardware System for short)

SPF Specific Pathogen Free

STS Space Transportation System

Acronyms

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42

The Complete ISS Researcher’s 

Guide Series

1. Acceleration Environment

2. Cellular Biology

3. Combustion Science

4. Earth Observations

5. Fluid Physics

6. Fruit Fly Research

7. Fundamental Physics

8. Human Research

9. Macromolecular Crystal Growth

10. Microbial Research

11. Microgravity Materials Research

12. Plant Science

13. Rodent Research

14. Space Environmental Effects

15. Technology Demonstration

NP-2015-03-016-JSC Rodent-ISS-Mini-Book-2015.indd 42 5/12/15 
For more information...

Space Station Science

http://www.nasa.gov/iss-science

Facilities

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/

facilities_category.html

ISS Interactive Reference Guide

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/ISSRG/index.htm

Researchers/Opportunities

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/

ops/research_information.html

ISS Research Customer Helpline

JSC-ISS-research-helpline@mail.nasa.gov

281-244-6187

NP-2015-03-016-JSC Rodent-ISS-Mini-Book-2015.indd 43 5/12/15 
44

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Johnson Space Center

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson

www.nasa.gov

NP-2015-03-016-JSC

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