For rodent experiments on Cosmos 1514, Cosmos 1887 and Cosmos 2044, rats were group-housed in a single compartment called the Rodent-BIOS. The BIOS was formed by removing the partition that separated males and females in the Cosmos 1129 rodent mating chamber. It was equipped with ten nozzles for delivering paste food and ten nozzles for dispensing water. Food was provided at regular intervals; water was available ad lib to the animals. Unidirectional airflow moved wastes and debris into a waste collector located at the bottom of the cage. The light/dark cycle was regulated to 12:12.
Ground support equipment for the rat neuroontogeny experiment included maternity cages with video monitors, rotation and tilt devices for vestibular tests and an olfactory, respiration, auditory and visual testing system.