Do Insects Exist In Space?

Since 1960, 18 different insects have been sent to space, including insects from six orders and all life stages (eggs, larvae, and adults). The International Space Station (ISS) orbits about 400 km above Earth, and close monitoring of the bugs is conducted to study their physiology. In addition to insects, many species of fish have been flown into space to investigate biological processes and the effects of microgravity and space flight on them. Bioastronautics is an area of bioengineering research that spans the study and support of life in space.

To date, seven national space agencies have sent insects as subjects for research due to their resilience and unique biological characteristics. In November 2023, 15 adult fruit flies and 40 larvae joined the human crew aboard the Tiangong space station. NASA’s Human Research Program has a penchant for sending strange things into orbit, but nothing beats bugs for scientific experiments in microgravity. A NASA-led study published in the journal Microbiome found that most of the bugs on the ISS are associated with human skin.

A purpose-built insect habitat on the ISS has been deliberately introduced, including fruit flies. In 1947, the USA sent fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) into space atop a V2 rocket. They became the first living and sentient organisms to go to space, and on February 20, 1947, we have them! They don’t appear to fly in the same way – some opt not to fly at all, others fly for really short durations, and moths learned to float around.