Space mice may offer clues to why astronauts get kidney stones

Test subjects from International Space Station may shed light on link between space travel and high incidence of painful condition

When astronauts travel into space they can expect some extraordinary new experiences. But they may also face a more mundane and potentially mission-ending one: kidney stones.

According to Nasa, kidney stones have been reported more than 30 times by astronauts upon returning to earth. Now researchers are beginning to unpick why space travel is linked to the painful condition.