Dharwad’s fruit flies to join ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission

Team Udayavani, Aug 25, 2024, 9:30 AM IST

Dharwad: Fruit flies from Dharwad will be part of ISRO’s ambitious “Gaganyaan” mission next year. The kit containing these flies, prepared by Dharwad’s Agricultural University, was selected among various samples provided by 75 agricultural universities across the country.

Fruit flies are known for their physical structure, which is similar to that of humans. The changes that occur in these flies under zero gravity are expected to provide valuable insights for future manned space missions.

In 2025, these fruit flies will be sent into space aboard ISRO’s Gaganyaan spacecraft. The spacecraft will orbit the Earth in zero gravity for two to seven days before returning to the ocean near Gujarat. Scientists will closely monitor the changes in the sample kit during this period.

Dr. Ravikumar Hosamani, a young biologist from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, and his team have received accolades for their innovative model. This university is among the top 10 agricultural universities in India, known for its exceptional achievements in agricultural research and outcomes.

Why Fruit Flies?

• 70% of the physical structure of fruit flies is similar to that of humans.
• The changes in these flies in zero gravity can provide essential insights for space research.
• The kit has been prepared after two years of research and is worth Rs 78 lakh.
• The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has developed the hardware kit.

What is in the Study Kit?

• The kit contains 20 fruit flies, with an equal number of males and females.
• The flies will reproduce, and their food is prepared using semolina and jaggery, with sodium oxalate added.

Significance: This research could pave the way for the preservation of food and the protection of astronauts’ health in space. The study is also crucial for finding solutions to health issues like bone degradation and kidney stones, which astronauts may face in space.

“We have refined the research I conducted at NASA and tailored it for India’s Gaganyaan mission. The processes involving food and microorganisms are critical for human habitation on other planets. We aim to expand our research further, said Dr. Ravikumar Hosamani, Gravitational Biologist at Dharwad Agricultural University.