From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Biosatellite (NASA)
Biosatellite (NASA)
Missions
The first two Biosatellites carried specimens of fruit flies,
frog eggs, bacteria, and wheat seedlings; the third carried
a monkey. Biosatellite 1 was not recovered because of
the failure of a retrorocket to ignite. However, Biosatel-
lite-2 successfully deorbited and was recovered in midair
by the United States Air Force. Its 13 experiments, ex-
posed to microgravity during a 45-hour orbital flight,
provided the first data about basic biological processes in
space. Biosatellite 3 carried a 6-kg male pig-tailed mon-
key, called Bonnie, with the object of investigating the
effect of spaceflight on brain states, behavioral perfor-
mance, cardiovascular status, fluid and electrolyte bal-
ance, and metabolic state. Scheduled to remain in orbit
for 30 days, the mission was terminated after only 8.8
days because of the subject’s deteriorating health and
the coming launch of Apollo 11 on the 16th. Despite the
seeming failure of the mission’s scientific agenda,
Biosatellite 3 was influential in shaping the life sciences
flight experiment program, highlighting the need for
centralized management, realistic goals, and adequate
Biosatellite 3 preflight experiment verification.
See also: Biosatellite
NASA launched three satellites named Biosatellite 1,
2 and 3 between 1966 and 1969.
NASA’s Biosatellite program was a series of three
References
satellites to assess the effects of spaceflight, especially [1] Rosenthal, Alfred. "A record of NASA space
radiation and weightlessness, on living organisms. Each missions since 1958". NASA. NASA Technical
was designed to reenter and be recovered at the end of Reports Server. http://hdl.handle.net/2060/
its mission. 19940003358. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
Its primary goal was that it intended to determine ef-
fects of space environment, particularly weightlessness,
on life processes at three levels of organization: basic bio-
External links
chemistry of the cell; structure of growth of cells and • Life into Space: 1965-1990
tissues; and growth and form of entire plants and ani-
mals.[1]
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Categories:
• Satellites
• NASA
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