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Space mission will explore effect of Mars' gravity on mammals (Forwarded)



 
 
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Old January 14th 04, 03:07 AM
Andrew Yee
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Default Space mission will explore effect of Mars' gravity on mammals (Forwarded)

News Office
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Denise Brehm, MIT News Office
Phone: 617-253-2704 or 617-253-2700
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JANUARY 9, 2004

Space mission will explore effect of Mars' gravity on mammals

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Students and researchers at MIT are designing a space
mission to learn about the effects of Mars-level gravity using pint-sized
astronauts.

The 15 mouse-trounauts will orbit Earth for five weeks to help researchers learn
how Martian gravity -- about one-third that of Earth -- will affect the
mammalian body.

The goal of the Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program is to send the mice into
near-Earth orbit inside a one-meter space ship simulating Mars' gravity, then
bring them back to Earth. It won't be the first time mice have flown in space,
but it will be the first time mammals of any kind have lived in partial gravity
for an extended period. The spin of the spacecraft will create an effect on the
mice equivalent to Mars' gravity.

The mouse cages will be designed for comfort and protection with room for the
little travelers to lope around for exercise in the simulated gravity of Mars.

"Astronauts living on space stations have encountered serious health problems
such as bone loss due to their weightless environment [zero gravity]," the team
said in a statement. "The first crew on Mars could experience similar effects;
scientists do not yet know whether partial gravity is sufficient to prevent
these health hazards. A crew of mice will provide the first answers."

The multi-university group, led by MIT and involving the University of
Washington at Seattle and the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia,
is managed by MIT research affiliate Paul Wooster (MIT S.B. 2003).

The MIT team is providing overall systems engineering and project management, as
well as designing and building the payload module, and planning the scientific
experiments. Students and researchers from Washington are designing and building
the spacecraft bus, which contains the power, propulsion and communications
components. Re-entry and recovery systems are the responsibility of the
Australian group.

The project is expected to cost about $15 million plus the cost of the launch.
The teams have received more than $400,000 for building the spacecraft from a
variety of sources including NASA, the three universities, and a number of
private companies and individuals. The teams have also secured commitments to
cover approximately half the cost of the $6 million launch.

The program is overseen by a program board composed of faculty from each of the
universities and outside space experts, and supported by a broad network of
advisors from the space field. Given appropriate funding, the mission could
launch as early as mid-2006.

For more information on the Mars Gravity Biosatellite, visit
http://www.marsgravity.org

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/nr/200...atellite2.jpg]
A view inside the Mars Gravity Biosatellite, which will spin to create
artificial gravity at the same level as that on Mars (approximately one-third of
that on Earth) in order to be able to study the effects of Martian-level gravity
on mammals.

IMAGE: GEORGI PETROV, Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program, MIT


 




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