Experiment: Ants in Space
School: Fowler High School — Syracuse, New York USA

Description: The objective of this experiment is to observe and characterize the effects of space flight on the tunneling behavior of harvester ants during a 16-day long space shuttle flight. Particular attention will be focused on the activity level of the ants and their social interactions. Upon their return, the ants and their tunnels will be examined and compared to an equivalent colony kept under similar environmental conditions on the ground. A special transparent gel will be used as the ants tunneling medium, food and water source, and anti-fungicide health material. Click on this link to learn more about the special ant habitat.

Hypothesis: It is hypothesized that the ants will tunnel at a slower rate in microgravity than on Earth. It is anticipated that individual ants will tunnel and forage differently in a microgravity environment, possibly due directly to the effects of microgravity or to indirect effects such as altered eating habits or other behaviors. As the ants begin to build their tunnels as a means of foraging for food, it is hypothesized that the microgravity environment will effect the placement and construction of the tunnels as well as their foraging habits. Further, it is hypothesized that once the tunnels are made, the microgravity environment may effect the structure of the tunnels (particularly during the latter stage of the mission). Because ants are highly social and collectively industrious creatures, some changes in colony behavior as a whole can be expected. The stresses involved in adapting to microgravity may cause deterioration in the social fabric of the colony and changes in their collective behavior will be observed.