NASA launched dozens of baby Hawaiian bobtail squid into space for scientific research on how to further preserve astronauts' health during long space missions, the Hawaii Star-Advertiser reported Monday.
As part of SpaceX’s 22nd resupply mission, delivering thousands of pounds of cargo to the International Space Station, 128 of the tiny animals came along for the ride.
The primary goal is to understand "effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts," according to the NASA research program conducting the experiment, Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions, or UMAMI.
"We have found that the symbiosis of humans with their microbes is perturbed in microgravity," University of Hawaii professor Margaret McFall-Ngai told the paper.
She says the experiment's lead scientist, University of Florida professor Jamie Foster, has shown that this is true in squid, "and, because it’s a simple system, she can get to the bottom of what’s going wrong."
Squid have been shown to have an immune system similar to that of humans. By studying how the squid interact with bacteria in space, Foster told the Star-Adviser that she hopes this helps scientists further understand some of the health problems that astronauts encounter in space.
"There are aspects of the immune system that just don’t work properly under long-duration spaceflights. If humans want to spend time on the moon or Mars, we have to solve health problems to get them there safely," Foster explained.
The squid were raised in the University of Hawaii Kewalo Marine Laboratory and their population is considered plentiful. They are expected to return in July.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram