TROPICAL FISH THAT FLEW ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE

[Bert B]

Here is some information on the tropical fish that flew as part of an experiment on the space shuttle, lucky fish !!

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/.../98e03565.html

[jbarr]

The pressure wouldnt kill them? I heard stories of fish exploding on cargo holds of planes. But I'm sure theyve taken this into account. How cool!

[richiestang_78]

Considering the shuttle is pressurized i dont think it would happen. It'd be interesting to see how the system works.

[kaz]

why would any animale die of pressure? airplanes and shuttle are pressurized even in the cargo area. the whole plane is pressurized if it wouldnt everyone on board would die, even in cargo where animales are kept such as dogs etc. oh and by the way how do they survive under water and its pressure of debth! thought about that one? lol

[richiestang_78]

Well its negative pressure vs positive pressure. When you fly your ears pop because of a negative pressure and planes arent exactly the same pressure at sea level so gases may build up in the fish.

[kaz]

cool though

[Mosaic]

I'm not sure of the point of the experiment. Controlled incubation? As in breeding? With swordtails? Good luck.

[Fishyfanatic]

Moved to the Lounge

[QTOFFER]

Great! Now I want another tank AND a space shuttle to keep it in!

They must have been studying the effect of weightlessness on how the fish swim or something.

[jamesrm]

With the pressure, as you go higher from the surface of the atmosphere, you are "loosing" pressure.

Just for example of HOW MUCH MORE pressure you place on yourself by going under water, the pressure you feel on your body (especially ears) doubles every 33 feet. Here is a very simple diagram:

xxxxx - space = 0 Atmosphere's of pressure

----- - surface of earth = 1 Atmosphere's of pressure

-33- - 33 feet under water = 2 Atmosphere's of pressure

-66- - 66 feet of water = 3 Atmosphere's of pressure

-99- - 99 feet of water = 4 Atmosphere's of pressure


You notice a bigger change from 0 to 33 feet when diving because the pressure felt doubles in a pretty short time period. You notice a much more gradual increase going from 33 feet on down, even though the pressure is building at the same rate, it does not "double" again until 99 feet.

[tropicalfish]

A general commercial aircraft is pressurized at about 8000 feet of pressure. Isn't that bad enough for a fish?, considering that in space, there is no pressure at all, so the shuttle needs to pressurize more, so there will be less pressure in the shuttle.........

[Skyrmir]

For the folks wondering about the pressure changes, the entire fish tank would have to be maintained at it's own pressure simply to deal with the effects of 0 gravity. Regardless of what pressure they keep the shuttle at.

Personally I'd be interested to see how they recycle the gases in the tank. There's a dozen ways to do it, it's just a question of prefferences in how they want to engineer it.