Drosophila Heart Function Under Microgravity on the International Space Station

SpaceX CRS-3 launched Canton S wildtype and seizure mutant Drosophila flies to the International Space Station for a 30-day mission in April 2014. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration collected data on negative geotaxis, heart function, RNAseq, and immunohistochemistry from spaceflown and ground control flies. Data collection was completed by May 21, 2014, following the Dragon capsule's retrieval off the coast of Mexico.

Use Cases

• Modeling the effect of microgravity on cardiac function based on heart function studies.
• Analyzing genetic expression changes under spaceflight conditions based on tissue collection for RNAseq.
• Studying neurological or behavioral adaptations based on negative geotaxis assays.
• Comparing mutant (seizure) and wildtype physiological responses based on the described fly lines.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled spaceflight experiment on the International Space Station.
• Includes a genetically modified model organism (seizure mutant) alongside a wildtype control.
• Ground control flies were reared under identical temperature and humidity conditions recorded on the ISS.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is stored in a BIN file format, which may require specialized tools for access.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Experimental data collected from Drosophila flies flown on the SpaceX CRS-3 mission to the ISS and corresponding ground controls.

Time Range

Mission launched April 18, 2014; data collection completed by May 21, 2014.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 19:38:38.917338; freshness should be verified.

Geography

International Space Station; ground controls and post-flight processing in La Jolla, California.