When NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour blasts off on mission STS-134 it will carry several non-human passengers. They are cephalopods, squid.
Calamari for cosmonauts? No. This is part of a controlled experiment that will finally answer the vital scientific question “Hey, what would happen if we launched some squid into Outer Space?”
Okay, the experiment is really more complex than that. Astronauts will infect young squid with bacteria to see if they turn into calamari yoghurt or something. Opinions differ on the validity of the exercise.
Image by Mike Licht (who already knows that the space-bound bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, don’t look that that). Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.
Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine
Tags: Endeavour, experimental science, experiments, man in space, manned space effort, NASA, outer space, science, space, space shuttle, space shuttle Endeavour, squid, STS-134
NotionsCapital 
May 16, 2011 at 6:55 pm
[…] Squid In Space! « NotionsCapital […]
May 20, 2011 at 10:52 pm
UPDATE: Squid yes; journalists no.
“Chinese Journalists Barred From Shuttle Launch,” Cindy Hao and Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, ScienceInsider.