There Is Squid In Space? Why NASA Sent Them On A Research Mission
Jeff Bezos is heading to space but some unlikely creatures beat him to it.
On June 3, NASA blasted baby squid from Hawaii into space for research on how spaceflight affects the immune system. The symbiotic relationship with natural bacteria shared between squid and humans will allow for better insight into how human health operates in space.
“There are aspects of the immune system that just don’t work properly under long-duration spaceflights," researcher Dr. Jamie Foster told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
"If humans want to spend time on the moon or Mars, we have to solve health problems to get them there safely,” she said.
Squid are classified as cephalopods and are known for their intelligence and mobility. Squid can be as small as an inch long, while others can stretch to 65 feet.
Low gravity in space causes microbes in the body to change, Foster said. The goal is to try and find out what exactly is happening when this occurs with the help of these baby squid.
“As astronauts spend more and more time in space, their immune systems become what’s called dysregulated. It doesn’t function as well," Foster said.
There are ample amounts of squid in the waters of Hawaii, but these specific squid are called "baby Hawaiian bobtail squid." The squid, which are about 3-inches long, were raised at the University of Hawaii Kewalo Marine Laboratory ahead of their space flight.
The squid will return in July. They blasted off from the International Space Station on a SpaceX resupply mission.
The research project has been fully conducted by Foster, who is now a University of Florida professor and principal investigator for a NASA program that researches how microgravity affects the interactions between animals and microbes.
“We have found that the symbiosis of humans with their microbes is perturbed in microgravity, and Jamie has shown that is true in squid,” said University of Hawaii professor Margaret McFall-Ngai.
“And, because it’s a simple system, she can get to the bottom of what’s going wrong.”
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