 |
 Insect Lore Informational >Insect Lore and NASA |
 |
|
Insect Lore Sends Painted Lady Butterflies Into Orbit The July 23, 1999 launch of NASA’s Columbia Space Shuttle carried some unusual astronauts - namely butterflies. Insect Lore, the nation’s largest commercial grower of butterflies and manufacturer of the award winning Butterfly Garden set, partnered with a group working with NASA to put the winged creatures into orbit. Scientists were trying to determine if caterpillars would undergo their metamorphosis into butterflies in a zero gravity environment. SPACEHAB, the team NASA uses to conduct living experiments on the space shuttle missions, approached John White, Insect Lore’s Marketing Director, at the National Science Teacher’s Convention. “When we were asked to be part of a shuttle launch and put some of the first butterflies into space,” White grinned, “we immediately said yes.” The butterflies were housed in their own specially-designed habitat that allowed for videotaping. The house was developed at the University of Colorado. Video feeds of the progress of the butterflies’ development were available via the Internet from a website dedicated to the flight (www.spacehab.com). A curriculum was developed with a high school near Atlanta, where students monitored the mission from their classroom. The butterflies successfully emerged aboard the Columbia. They have been preserved and are to be put on permanent display in Washington D.C. at the National Air and Space Museum on May 3, 2000. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Entomology Suggests: