AstroNewt: early development of newt in space.

AstroNewt experiment explores the effects of earth gravity on the early development of Japanese red-bellied newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster. Since female newts keep spermatophore in cloaca, fertilized eggs could be obtained without mating. Fertilization of newt's egg occurs just prior to spawning, so that gonadotrophic cues applied to females in orbit leads to laying eggs fertilized just in space. A property of newt being kept in hibernation at low temperature may be of great help for the space experiment carried out with much limited resources. A general outline of the AstroNewt project is shown here in addition to some technical advances for the development of the project. Experimental schemes of two space experiments (IML-2 in summer 1994 and unmanned SFU at the beginning of 1995) are also shown.