Flies In Space

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Flies In Space - close-up of a Drosophila fly with Space Shuttle in background

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For Educators

The Flies in Space experiment has been designed to fly on the space shuttle on an upcoming mission. The goals of this experiment include characterizing the effects of space travel (including weightlessness and radiation exposure) on fruit flies’ immune systems. Fruit flies have long been used by scientists worldwide because their genome has been completely mapped, their short life cycle enables multiple generations to be studied in a short amount of time, and they have many analogous processes to humans. The attached documents will assist you as you use this website with your students.

Using the Flies in Space Website in the Classroom provides information about the national standards addressed in the site and includes a worksheet (with answer key) that students can complete as they explore the site.
Flies in Space Activity Guide will enable you to conduct hands-on activities relating to the Flies in Space experiment with your class.

The Flies in Space website is designed for middle school students (grades 5-8). It provides information about current NASA space biology research, the scientific method, fruit flies, and the immune system. Students can also communicate with expert fly researchers by making predictions about the Flies in Space experiment and asking questions of the scientists.

Editor: Carol Elland
NASA Official: B J Navarro
Last Updated: June 2005
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