Space Mission Explores Microbe-Based Precision Fermentation to Solve Astronaut Food Challenges
A team of researchers from Imperial College London, Cranfield University, and space technology companies Frontier Space and ATMOS Space Cargo have launched a miniature laboratory into Earth’s orbit. This lab contains genetically engineered microbes designed to produce proteins and other materials such as pharmaceuticals, fuel, and bioplastics in space. The mission, which began on April 21, 2025, aboard Europe’s first commercial returnable spacecraft, Phoenix, via SpaceX, aims to explore the feasibility of using microbes in space for sustainable food production. The microbe specimens will be returned to Earth for analysis, with the goal of understanding how microgravity, long-term storage, and space transportation affect their ability to produce useful resources. The need for efficient food production in space has become increasingly pressing as human space exploration …
