Mice aboard the International Space Station

Behavior of mice aboard the International Space Station 20 female mice were transported to the International Space Station by SpaceX CRS-4 Dragon spacecraft. On NASA’s Rodent Habitat, the mice engaged in a full range of species-typical behaviors. After 7–10 days, younger mice began to exhibit distinctive circling or ‘race-tracking’ behavior that evolved into coordinated group activity. This activity may represent stereotyped motor behavior, rewarding effects of physical exercise, or vestibular sensation produced via self-motion. Credits Research: Behavior of mice aboard the International Space Station April E. Ronca, Eric L. Moyer, Yuli Talyansky, Moniece Lowe, Shreejit Padmanabhan, Sungshin Choi, Cynthia Gong, Samuel M. Cadena, Louis Stodieck & Ruth K. Globus Scientific Reports, CRS-4 image: NASA/George Roberts