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THE INSECT HABITAT FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.  N.D. Buckley¹ and T.L. Parkes².  ¹Space Life Sciences, Canadian Space Agency,  Ottawa, Canada and ²Department of Biology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada.

   The Canadian Space Agency is contributing the Insect Habitat (IH) to the Space Station Fundamental Biology Research Facility (SSFBRF).  It is being designed to support the model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, although a variety of other insects could be accommodated with some modifications.  Drosophila has stringent environmental requirements that make it necessary to include humidity, airflow, temperature and lighting control into IH.   High-resolution video capability will allow the recording of insect phenotype or behaviour and the tracking of individual flies.  The science element, which will house the flies in a habitat holding rack on the International Space Station, has centrifugation capability that allows for 1 g controls in space.  The science element consists of two gravity elements which each hold 6 container elements that in turn, consist of two separate compartments for housing flies.  The maximum 12 compartments can be used for replicate fly cultures or multi-generational experiments.  Along with the science element, the IH consists of a transport element to be carried on the space shuttle to ferry specimens back and forth and a ground reference unit.  When complete, the IH will be an integral part of the SSFBRF that will serve the space life science research community by providing life support for cell cultures and eggs and a variety of organisms including aquatic species, rodents, plants, and insects.