Elon Musk will launch water bears and rounded squid into space - Walla! TECH

2021-06-03T05:54:53.684Z

SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, will send supplies to the space station that will include a unique delivery

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Elon Musk will launch water bears and rounded squid into space

SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, will ship the 22nd supply to the International Space Station.

But this time the shipment will include some unusual things in favor of experiments that will help researchers understand how the human body is affected by space conditions

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The rounded squid were chosen because of their symbiotic connection with bacteria in bodies, which help them to shine and change color quickly. The 0.3 cm-long creature can help humans understand how bacteria interact with animal tissue in a space environment. Man, rely on our bacteria to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system. We do not fully understand how spaceflight changes these beneficial interactions. "

The squid will take off into space when frozen, and then thaw.

The squid does not contain the symbiotic bacteria because they usually get them from the ocean, but the researchers plan to add the bacteria to the squid when they reach the International Space Station, to see how they will react in the space environment.

The study is expected to help humans understand and learn about the gut health of humans in the space environment, and the relationship between space travel, bacteria and the immune system.

Research will help learn how to protect astronauts' health in long missions (Photo: Screenshot, Screenshot)

The "water bear" study will focus on how tiny 0.1 cm long creatures survive the high-pressure environment in space. Thomas Boothby, a professor of molecular biology at the University of Wyoming and lead researcher on the experiment, said: Dehydration, and freezing and heating beyond the boiling point of water.

They can also survive radiation that is several thousand times stronger than humans can, and they can also live without oxygen or little oxygen, for weeks.

It has already been proven that they survive and multiply during space flight, and can even survive prolonged exposure to outer space vacuum. ”Bootby's research will help learn how to protect astronauts' health during long space missions.