Drosophila melanogaster has given enormous contributions to Space Biology Research. This organism is an important tool to be manipulated in genetic engineering and molecular experiments in order to understand different biological processes homologous to other multicellular systems, including humans. Their milestone contribution in microgravity conditions and radiation, the two most important variables in space, have allowed new knowledge and perspectives on the positive and negative effects on cellular, molecular and genetic levels. In this review, we expose the historical contribution of Drosophila melanogaster in Astrobiology.

In the frame of the EXPOSE-R mission outside the Russian Zvezda Module of the International Space Station (ISS) passive thermoluminescence dosimeters were applied to measure the radiation exposure of biological samples. The detectors were located beneath the sample carriers to determine the dose levels for maximum shielding. The dose measured beneath the sample carriers varied between 317 ± 10 and 230 ± 2 mGy, which amount to an average dose rate of 381 ± 12 and 276 ± 2 μGy d−1. These values are close to those assessed for the interior of the ISS and reflect the high shielding of the biological experiments within the EXPOSE-R facility. As a consequence of the high shielding (several g cm−2), the biological samples were predominantly exposed to galactic cosmic heavy ions and trapped protons in the Earth's radiation belts, whereas the trapped electrons did not reach the samples.

The aim of the paper is to present the time profile of cosmic radiation exposure obtained by the radiation risks radiometer-dosimeter (R3DR) during the ESA exposition facility for EXPOSE-R mission (EXPOSE-R) in the EXPOSE-R facility outside the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station (ISS). Another aim is to make the obtained results available to other EXPOSE-R teams for use in their data analysis. R3DR is a low mass and small dimensions automated device, which measures solar radiation in four channels and in addition cosmic ionizing radiation. The main results of cosmic ionizing radiation measurements are: three different radiation sources were detected and quantified: galactic cosmic rays (GCR), energetic protons from the inner radiation belt (IRB) in the region of the South Atlantic anomaly and energetic electrons from the outer radiation belt (ORB). The highest daily averaged absorbed dose rate of 506 μGy day−1 came from IRB protons; GCR delivered much smaller daily absorbed dose rates of 81.4 μGy day−1 on average, and ORB source delivered on average a dose rate of 89 μGy day−1. The IRB and ORB daily averaged absorbed dose rates were higher than those observed during the ESA exposition facility for EXPOSE-E mission (EXPOSE-E), whereas the GCR rate was smaller than that measured during the EXPOSE-E mission. The reason for this difference is much less surrounding constructions shielding of the R3DR instrument in comparison with the R3DE instrument.