These are the plans, models, and project documentation for the simulated copy of that habitat to be exhibited.
keywords: space, simulation, artificial habitat, habitat within habitat, controlled environment, containment, migration, alien
By 'participating' in the experiment myself, situating the larvae into an 'artificial habitat', I was in a position to observe first-hand the lifespan of the butterflies in a way similar to the school children. I thought the butterflies were relatively resilient considering their predicament. As environmental sensors, the butterflies soon revealed the shortcomings of such a situation, and wondered how this affected the students. How did they perceive this inability to recognize the needs of another species?
Migration to space is at a level so few can appreciate. This distance, this 'alien-ness' bridged by an artificial habitat: anything that has been modified or made by people, habitats have been constructed and employed to domesticate and house, observe, experiment, and transport life. How do we fabricate this ideal place in relation to ourselves, to others, the environment, in essence, in relation to nature? -something we have gradually constructed as being outside of or other than ourselves.
Launch date November 16.09.09
STS-129 mission to ISS aboard space shuttle Atlantis
Vanessa Cardui animal astronauts in space
A project by NASA & NSBRI [national space biomedical research institute]
Research Applications:
Small organism study
General Features:
Passive gas exchange with cabin air (o2, co2, rH)
Habitats packaged to provide temperature, rH and experiment-specific sensors for environmental monitoring
Thermally controlled time course experiments
Imaging capabilities with near real-time downlink
Manual or automated config. control for activation and termination
Fluorescent, LED, electroluminescent and infared lighting available
Multiple levels of containment meet NASA safety reqs.