In a small marine research facility in southern France, sea bass are quietly preparing for a groundbreaking journey—not just into space, but potentially onto dinner plates on the moon. The ambitious project, called Lunar Hatch, aims to farm sea bass in space as a sustainable food source for future astronauts, with hopes of eventually applying the system to Mars missions and remote communities on Earth.
Led by Dr. Cyrille Przybyla, a marine biologist with France’s National Institute for Ocean Research, the project is exploring the feasibility of launching fertilized sea bass eggs into space.
The idea is for the eggs to hatch en route to the International Space Station, and later, be farmed in tanks on a future lunar base, reports The Guardian.
Przybyla says that fish are ideal for space travel—they’re highly digestible, rich in protein, and provide essential nutrients like omega-3 and B vitamins, crucial for maintaining astronauts’ health in microgravity.
While fish have been sent into space before—from mummichogs on Apollo missions to zebrafish aboard the ISS—Lunar Hatch is the first effort to establish a closed-loop aquaculture system for regular food production beyond Earth.
The plan involves using lunar ice for water, recycling fish waste to grow microalgae and feed other aquatic organisms, and creating a sustainable food web where nothing is wasted.
To support seven astronauts with two portions of fish per week during a 16-week mission, about 200 sea bass would be needed. These will be sent into space along with a control group kept on Earth. The project has already passed key Earth-based tests, including simulations of rocket vibrations and cosmic radiation exposure.
Although a launch date has yet to be confirmed, CNES and NASA are working to find a mission slot. Meanwhile, other space agencies, including China’s, are entering the race with similar aquaculture research.
Beyond space, Przybyla says the system could help sustainably feed remote or underserved communities on Earth, proving that innovations aimed at the stars may also help life back home.
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
