The space environment challenges many of the biological processes in the human body, in particular, the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, skeletal muscle system, immune system, digestive system, and can even induce the remodeling of vital organs. Therefore, simulating the space flight environment through animal experiments is important for elucidating the mechanism of space stress injury and understanding potential protective measures against injury. This article expounds the stress injury and protection mechanisms of animal experiments, to provide a reference for future space exploration.