Bee Enclosure Module, STS 41-C

This habitat box was used twice for student experiments aboard the Space Shuttle. It housed 3300 honeybees on the STS 41-C mission in 1984 and numerous houseflies on the STS 51-D mission in 1985. Many researchers are interested in animals' adaptation to microgravity (weightlessness) as they carry out flying, honeycomb building, and other normal activities in the unique environment of space. NASA has encouraged student involvement in space research by flying such experiments on orbital missions. Honeywell sponsored these experiments and donated this equipment to the Museum after the flights.