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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 July 2020
Calcium loss and muscle atrophy are two of the main metabolic changes experienced by astronauts and crew members during exposure to microgravity in space. To investigate the effects of spaceflight on calcium-dependent secretion and cytoskeletal formation in a less complex system we utilized sea urchin eggs and embryos which were fertilized and cultured under spaceflight conditions during the STS-77 shuttle mission. Sea urchin eggs were fertilized and cultured in the newly developed aquatic research facility (ARF) which allowed culture of eggs and embryos in microgravity and in a 1g centrifuge in space. This allowed analysis of the comparison of microgravity and 1g spaceflight treatments with samples cultured on ground. Eggs and embryos were maintained in Standard Container Assemblies (SCAs) with identical sets prepared for culture in microgravity, and at 1g in the middeck compartment of the shuttle Endeavor, as well as for ground observations at the Kennedy Space Center.