抄録
At the 1999 JUSTSAP workshop, the micro-gravity working group made a joint commitment to support a student program dedicated to conducting an experiment in space called JUSTSAP S*T*A*R*S. The JUSTSAP S*T*A*R*S experiment aims to observe the swimming behavior of Medaka fry in micro-gravity and to observe the adaptation of Medaka fry to 1 G environment, which hatched out in the micro-gravity. Therefore, we did launch the eggs and hatch them under micro-gravity condition formed by STS-107 mission. Because fry are small, we need to confine them in the small space (nest) to avoid swimming far away. During the flight, the swimming behavior of Medaka fry was successfully recorded and observed. When the shuttle would return to the earth, Medaka frys' adaptation to gravity change were also recorded and observed by two video cameras. Controlled experiments were designed and carried out with the same protocol by collaborated Japanese students from more than 10 schools. Over the past couple of years, the student PI (Maki NIIHORI) has been studying the Medaka fish in order to prepare for this STS-107 flight experiment opportunity that observes the effect of micro-gravity on the development and behavior of the fish egg and fry. The PI was provided a two-month internship in the United States, under the guidance of biosphere experts, to further her Medaka fish studies and gain critical information regarding the ecosystem that is required to provide a healthy environment for the fish while in space.
