Hello, my name is Eric. My research question is “Does microgravity effect fish reproduction?”
I am planning to send guppy eggs and sperm to space, to measure the effect of weightlessness on fertilization.
My question for a scientist: How do I keep the eggs and sperm alive in space for the the entire mission? Can they live in water, or should they be stored in something else?
Thank you!
I am not a astrobiologists;
but let me try to answer your questions:
1. How do I keep the eggs and sperm alive in space for the the entire mission?
You don’t just leave the eggs and sperms floating in the space. In space shuttle, the astronauts try to make the environment similar to Earth since they have to survive to handle all kinds of research. In this case, I would assume you can raise your fish in a closed tank with oxygen pump. This way the fish will most likely survive through the whole mission.
2. Can they live in water?
Answer to this one, I can absolutely say yes. They have to. Since they don’t have the same physiological structure as the territorial animals, if you keep them out of the water, they sure cannot handle the trip.
Hopefully this can help you.