Biosatellite program

Biosatellite
Biosatellite 3
ManufacturerGeneral Electric
Country of originUnited States
OperatorNASA
ApplicationsBioscience
Specifications
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Design life8-30 days
Production
StatusRetired
Launched3
Maiden launchBiosatellite 1
14 December 1966
Last launchBiosatellite 3
29 June 1969

NASA's Biosatellite program was a series of three uncrewed artificial satellites to assess the effects of spaceflight, especially radiation and weightlessness, on living organisms. Each was designed to reenter Earth's atmosphere and be recovered at the end of its mission.

Its primary goal was to determine the effects of space environment, particularly weightlessness, on life processes at three levels of organization: basic biochemistry of the cell; structure of growth of cells and tissues; and growth and form of entire plants and animals.[1]

  1. ^ Rosenthal, Alfred (January 1982). "A record of NASA space missions since 1958". NASA. NASA Technical Reports Server. hdl:2060/19940003358. Retrieved 24 September 2011.