Ants in Space
In the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory, NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio, Expedition 38 flight engineer, uses a video camera to photograph the Ant Forage Habitat Facility which will study ant behavior and colonization in microgravity.
Larger image
Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert – 06: Ants in Space (CSI-06) compares behavior differences in groups of ants living in normal gravity and microgravity conditions. It measures how the interactions among ants in a group depend on the number of ants in a given area. These interactions may be important in determining group behavior.
Cameras record ants living on the International Space Station, and software analyzes their movement patterns and interaction rates. Students in grades K-12 observe the videos in near real-time as the ISS experiment and conduct their own classroom experiments as part of a related curriculum.
More information on Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert – 06: Ants in Space (CSI-06)
