48 Rats Loaded on Shuttle for Research Flight

NASA workers loaded 48 rats into the shuttle Columbia on Wednesday in preparation for today’s scheduled launch on a two-week medical research mission.

The rodents were lowered into the 12-story orbiter by workers suspended on cables. A technician slid 24 cages--each holding two rats--into racks in the cargo bay laboratory module and the bus-sized laboratory was sealed.

Meteorologists said they expect a 90% chance of good weather for the scheduled 7:53 a.m. PDT liftoff.

Columbia’s 14-day journey will be the longest ever by a shuttle. Scientists say that much time is needed to collect sufficient biomedical data on the seven astronauts assigned to the mission, as well as the rats.

During Columbia’s flight, veterinarian Martin Fettman and other scientists will collect rat droppings to measure calcium content--an indicator of bone loss. They also will draw blood from some of the rodents and inject radioactive isotopes and a hormone that regulates red blood cell production.

Fettman will use a guillotine to decapitate five or six rats and dissect them--a space first. The other rodents will be kept alive until they are back on Earth; then they will be killed for dissection.