BABY rats that develop in space have no sense of balance, NASA researchers
have found.
Pregnant rats were flown for 11 days aboard a space shuttle and later gave
birth back on Earth. April Ronca and Jeffrey Alberts at the NASA Ames Research
Center in California found that the newborns had trouble turning right side up
when placed on their backs in a bath of water. It took them a week on solid
ground to gain their balance (Journal of Applied Physiology, vol 89, p
2318).
The findings show that the ear’s vestibular system, which controls balance,
needs gravity…
