Food Delivery Subsystem (FDS)
The use of rodents for physiological investigations to bridge a gap between cellular biology and human physiology, has been highlighted by the Microgravity Advisory Committee (MAC) and documented in the last “Approach to Microgravity Follow-On Programme” issued by the ESA Microgravity Programme Board.
This emerging need, perceived in advance by a team of scientists and supported by ASI, as customer, and Thales Alenia Space Italia, as industrial partner, has led to the design and development of the Mice Drawer System (MDS) facility which makes it possible the execution of experiments using mice as models for human physiology. Each mouse is kept in a dedicated cage.
The Food Delivery Subsystem (FDS), as part of the Mice Drawer System permits to supply mice inside each cage independently with food bars. The bars will be substituted along the duration of the mission in order to satisfy consumption requirements. IMT srl has delivered 36 flight units of FDS to Thales Alenia Space. The FDS is composed by removable and fix parts. The fix parts are constrained to the external container of MDS. The FDS design includes the following SUBASSEMBLIES: FBR (FOOD BAR ASSY), FCS (FOOD CASE ASSY), FEV (FOOD ENVELOPE ASSY).
The Food Bar Assy is represented by the “Biscuit” (Food Bar) devoted to feed the mouse and the mechanical components to generate its motion; a FAULHABER Gear-Motor drives the motion of the FBR.. The FCS is a chassis connected to the Habitat Frontal Panel (Gasket included). The FEV is the physical container of the Food Bar Assy (FBR).
The MDS experiment has been launched on August 28, 2009 By Space Shuttle Discovery
