Insects on the Space Menu

Summary

Science & Exploration Insects on the space menu 07/11/2025 2311 views 38 likes Long before humans reached orbit, insects had already shown they could handle the hurdles of spaceflight. Light, highly adaptable and nutritionally rich, these resilient animals present an attractive option for European researchers studying reliable food sources for long-duration missions. Eating insects is not unusual: billions of people do it every day. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, humans consume over 2000 species of insects around the planet. Fruit fly habitat for space mission The European Space Agency has now brought together a team of food, biology and space experts from across Europe to study whether insects could become part of an astronaut’s menu.How well the creepy-crawlies do in space has been the subject of several experiments dating back to the 1940s.While the results vary depending on the species, microgravity does not seem to disrupt their development or behaviour in major ways.“Insects seem to cope quite well in space environments. They have a good ability to withstand physical stresses,” says Åsa Berggren, Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and lead author of a study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology. “These small animals are also very good at converting materials that we humans cannot eat into their own growth and provide us with nutritious food,” adds Åsa.The team found in these tiny creatures a clear potential to recycle nutrients and produce protein in a sustainable way. But before insects could make it onto the space menu, European researchers first wanted to understand how microgravity affects key biological processes, such as life cycles, physiology and reproduction.Bug orbital hotelThe first animal to reach space and survive the trip was the fruit fly in 1947. This humble insect travelled on a V-2 rocket to study the impact of radiation on living organisms. Fruit flies for space research Since th...