Since 2019, the Lunar Hatch project has been evaluating the feasibility of moving fertilized sea bass eggs into space. After several ground tests and simulated chambers, the program has demonstrated that these embryos withstand the rigors of liftoff, the rocket acceleration and also maintain survival and hatching rates equivalent to terrestrial conditions.
A hatching adapted to the duration of space flight
One of the keys to success lies in the ability to time egg hatching according to temperature. At 14 °C, it takes about 100 hours for the eggs to hatch, which is the estimated duration of a trip to the moon (between 4 and 8 days). In simulated microgravity trials of 39 hr, the eggs hatched without any damageand even 6 hours earlier than the terrestrial control group.
Under conditions similar to those of a Soyuz rocket launch, the eggs withstood vibrations, intense sound waves and accelerations of up to 5g without altering their development. The behavior of the larvae after hatching was identical to that observed on Earth, confirming the stability of the biological model.
Lunar Hatch faces space radiation challenge
Outside the protection of the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere, the embryos will be exposed to cosmic particles. For this reason, we collaborated with the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) to subject eggs to proton and neutron fluxes in facilities such as MIRCOM and AMANDE. The results, still under analysis, will be key to determine their full viability.
The planned system will reuse water in closed circuits, adapting technologies already developed by IFREMER. The idea is to provide two weekly rations of fresh fish to a crew of seven people, combining this source of protein with vegetables grown in greenhouses.
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Source: IFREMER
Photo: Shutterstock
