Nickelodeon sent two liters of slime to the International Space Station in 2020. Astronauts played with it to study how non-water fluids behave in microgravity. The results could impact liquid handling in space, including plant watering and life support systems.
Tiny devices mimicking human organs were first sent to space in 2018. They help scientists study the effects of drugs and diseases in microgravity and understand the long-term impact of space travel on health.
Since the 1990s, jellyfish have been sent to space to study their development in weightlessness. Space-born jellyfish experienced extreme vertigo and had difficulty swimming in normal gravity upon returning to Earth.
In 2007, salmonella bacteria were sent to space and became more virulent, posing potential risks for future space missions.
Tardigrades, nearly indestructible creatures, were sent to space in 2007. They survived open space conditions and returned to Earth healthy.
Golden-orb weaver spiders were sent to space to observe web-building without gravity. Gravity was found to be the primary orientation guide, with light as a backup.
Freeze-dried mouse sperm was stored on the International Space Station for nine months in 2013. It returned to Earth and produced healthy offspring, showing resilience to space radiation.
The transparent-skinned Japanese rice fish helps researchers study bone density loss in microgravity. They provide insights into osteoporosis treatments for both astronauts and Earth-bound patients.
In 1970, NASA sent bullfrogs to space to study motion sickness. Electrodes implanted in their ears showed they acclimated to weightlessness, helping understand human balance systems in space.