In 2011, a romantic comedy film titled 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' was released. The story follows a British fishing expert (played by Ewan McGregor) who undertakes a project to raise salmon in the desert to fulfill the dream of a sheikh (prince) who wants to introduce fly fishing to Yemen. The British government initiated this nonsensical project to improve relations with the Islamic world.
A project that goes far beyond the imagination of the film is underway. It aims to grow bass in manned bases on the Moon and Mars to provide astronauts with protein. French scientists are conducting the 'Lunar Hatch' project to determine whether they can safely send bass eggs to the lunar base and whether hatching fry can grow in the lunar aquaculture facility.
◇ Bass eggs overcome rocket vibrations and radiation
Dr. Cyrille Przybyla and his research team from the French National Institute for Ocean Science (IFREMER) announced on the 16th of last month that they have experimentally proven that fish eggs can hatch and grow in space, published in the international journal 'Frontiers in Space Technologies.'
The research team simulated an environment in the laboratory similar to space radiation exposure at the International Space Station (ISS) and on the lunar surface and observed European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) eggs. The experiment showed that space radiation does not affect bass egg hatching.
The Lunar Hatch project has been supported by the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES) and the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2018. The ESA began developing the necessary technologies to establish a lunar base for astronauts in 2016. Aquaculture for bass has been recognized as a means to supply protein to astronauts.
The primary task of Lunar Hatch was to determine if bass eggs cultivated on the Moon could survive the space journey. The research team mimicked the launch conditions of the Russian Soyuz rocket with satellite prototype testing equipment from the University of Montpellier. The Soyuz experiences much more severe vibrations during takeoff than other rockets. Additionally, the rocket exerts a force equivalent to five times Earth's gravity during acceleration.
The research team confirmed in 2023 that the survival and hatching rates of bass eggs under conditions aboard a Soyuz rocket were no different than on Earth. They were also able to adjust the hatching time of the bass eggs by changing the temperature. Bass eggs take 100 hours to hatch at 14 degrees Celsius. At 10 degrees, it takes twice that long. This coincides with the 4 to 8 days required to travel to the Moon.
IFREMER scientists also confirmed that bass eggs can withstand microgravity in space stations and on the Moon, as well as the effects of space radiation. This means that it is possible to safely transport bass eggs from Earth to lunar aquaculture tanks.
◇ Circular aquaculture that recycles resources is possible
The United States has resumed manned lunar exploration, which was halted since Apollo 17 in 1972, through the Artemis program. The goal is to send two astronauts to the lunar South Pole in 2026. While past Apollo astronauts spent only a few days on the Moon before returning to Earth, future astronauts plan to reside at a lunar base for an extended period.
For humans to live on the Moon, water and electricity are necessary. NASA's choice of the lunar South Pole as the landing site for Artemis astronauts is due to the presence of water. Scientists believe there are significant amounts of water stored as ice in permanently shadowed regions of the lunar South Pole that receive no sunlight. Water serves as drinking water for astronauts, and the by-products oxygen and hydrogen can be used for breathing and as rocket fuel. Moreover, water melted from ice can fill the tanks of the bass aquaculture facility.
Next is resource recycling. Transporting feed from Earth to the Moon incurs enormous shipping costs, creating an inefficient situation. The Lunar Hatch research team proposed resource recycling as an alternative for self-sufficiency. Dr. Przybyla noted, "Everything is recycled through a circular self-sufficient aquaculture system over 4 to 5 months," stating, "The goal of Lunar Hatch is to have no waste."
Organic matter in bass manure feeds small shrimp and worms, which later become food for the bass. Wastewater produced while raising the fish promotes the growth of microalgae, which provide food for shellfish. Shellfish filter and purify the water. French scientists estimated that 200 bass would be needed to supply two portions per week for seven astronauts residing at the lunar base for 16 weeks. They believe that transporting bass eggs by rocket every six months is a feasible scenario.
◇ Fish flesh as an optimal protein source for astronauts
Fish are not only suitable for raising on the Moon but also identified as an optimal protein source. Dr. Przybyla stated, "Fish protein is better digested by humans than that of other terrestrial livestock, and it contains omega-3s and vitamin B essential for maintaining muscle mass." In low-gravity space, protein is leached from muscles. Astronauts who boarded the Russian space station 'Mir' showed about a 20% decrease in muscle protein after one year.
Aquatic organisms appeared on Earth 3 billion years ago. At that time, the atmosphere was nearly nonexistent, and they would have been directly exposed to space radiation. In this regard, fish living in water are optimal for cultivation on the Moon and Mars. Moreover, as aquatic creatures, they consume less oxygen than livestock. Higher oxygen consumption leads to greater carbon dioxide emissions. For every kilogram of feed, cows emit 40 kg, pigs 6 kg, while fish only emit between 1.8 and 3.3 kg.
The amount of feed needed to increase an animal's weight by 1 kg is 1.3 kg for fish, which is lower than cows (8.7 kg), pigs (5.9 kg), and chickens (1.9 kg). Therefore, lunar bases may also raise insects in addition to fish. The University of Australia and International Space University stated in their 2020 report on 'Lunar Agriculture' that crickets, silkworms, and mealworms could also serve as sources of protein for astronauts, alongside fish. Insects could also become food for fish.
Fish have been sent to space for half a century. In 1973, the United States sent Atlantic salmon into space as part of its Apollo lunar exploration program. Three years later, the Soviet Union conducted experiments with guppies in space. In 2015, zebrafish, widely used in scientific research, went to the International Space Station. Last year, China sent zebrafish to the Tiangong space station.
Lunar Hatch is an even bolder project. Until now, fish have remained at the space station located approximately 400 km above the Earth. Currently, rockets can reach that distance in just half a day. In contrast, the Moon is in deep space, 385,000 km away from Earth, and the flight time takes 4 to 8 days. Furthermore, instead of conducting experiments by raising fish the size of a finger in small aquariums, the project aims to cultivate fish that can grow up to 1 meter in large-scale aquaculture. Can the dream of fishing for bass on the Moon truly be realized?
References
Frontiers in Space Technologies (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2025.1571592
Frontiers In Space Technologies (2023), DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2023.1240251
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences (2021), DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.699097
ISU (2020), https://isulibrary.isunet.edu/doc_num.php?explnum_id=1714