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Quite an event happened in November and December of 2009 with the launching of the space shuttle Atlantis and its voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) during the STS-129 mission. The mission included delivering spare parts to the ISS, multiple space walks to conduct repairs on the space station, and returning station crew member Nicole Stott to Earth.
But it also included a unique addition to the space shuttle crew. Along with the 6 human crew members, there were several very hungry caterpillars as Eric Carle might describe them. They were part of the Butterflies in Space Project funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) in partnership with BioServe Space Technologies (University of Colorado) and Baylor College of Medicine. The project’s purpose was to observe the development of painted lady butterfly larvae into adults in a microgravity environment (space), and then compare their development to that of terrestrial painted lady butterfly larvae. To go along with the experiment aboard STS-129, the Butterflies in Space Project offered a free set of lessons and activities in the Butterflies in Space Teacher’s Guide. Many schools across the country followed the development of these “astrocaterpillars” as they observed the development of their own caterpillars in the classroom. However, the painted lady butterfly larvae were not the only research organisms to ride aboard STS-129. The shuttle flight also included an experiment on the ability of an orb weaver spider to live in space, comparing its behavior, feeding habits, and web spinning to that of terrestrial orb weavers. And another experiment observed older monarch butterfly larvae as they pupated in microgravity, comparing their development to that of pupating monarchs on Earth. If you are intrigued by this mission but didn’t participate, don’t think that you have missed out. You can still view images of the painted lady butterfly larvae developing in space and still participate in the classroom activities that go along with the space shuttle experiment. Just visit Butterflies in Space for details. If you’d like your class to join in the Butterflies in Space activities, Carolina has everything you need. From painted lady larvae to activity kits to general supplies, we are here to help you create a great adventure for your students. Related links
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