Abstract
The International Space Station will be completed in the beginning of the 21st century. The human being will spread earnest activities to space in the future. Therefore, detailed analysis of the effects of space environment on mammalian physiology is very important to ensure the safe manned space activities. So, from life science and medical viewpoints, it is essential to perform animal studies using mammalians such as rodents. The STS-107 Rat Sample Share Study (BSP: Biospecimen Sharing Program) was planned to utilize the organs and tissues which had not been required by the primary research programs, selected at the second international space life sciences research announcement. The BSP was planned to enable many investigators to analyze valuable specimens of the space-flown rats. Thus the STS-107 BSP was very important opportunity to conduct the researches on shared specimens, if Columbia returned without accident. The specimens would be distributed to nineJapanese BSP researchers and to seven from USA, Canada and France. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will make every effort to provide various opportunities for space experiments including biospecimen sample sharing program such as the STS-107 BSP based on international cooperation.
