Is it legal to send animals for near spaceflight research?
<p>For research purposes, is it legal to use animals as flight test subjects?  Like using crickets and mouse as subjects to be sent near space (Upper Stratosphere) High Altitude Balloon</p>

<p>Questions like these are typically governed by the entities funding or sanctioning the research.</p>

<p>However, there are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruelty_to_animals" rel="nofollow">laws in many jurisdictions</a> against cruelty to animals, including laws that classify some acts as crimes.</p>

<p><a href="http://aldf.org/resources/advocating-for-animals/animal-protection-laws-of-the-united-states-of-america-and-canada/" rel="nofollow">These laws vary so widely</a>, and depend on so many variables (among them: the species of animal involved, the intent of the actor, and the care exercised) it would be wise to obtain a legal opinion from an expert in your jurisdiction.</p>

<p>A quick perusal does seem to suggest that most criminal laws are concerned with higher animals and malicious actors.  So, for example, I would be surprised if there were laws covering the use of insects in legitimate research.  (One could, of course, run afoul of <em>other</em> laws, like introducing an invasive species by taking a native species and transporting it to another ecosystem.)</p>

criminal-law regulations