Microgravity research has already provided insights into terrestrial agriculture, enhancing our understanding of phenomena like plant gravitropism and stress responses. However, aquaculture, a critical and growing food source, has not yet received similar attention. Aquaculture research in space has been limited since the 2012 retirement of the Aquatic Habitat (AQH) onboard the International Space Station (ISS), which was developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Monolith LLC is proposing the development of a new aquaculture facility to fill that gap.
Aquatic biology research in space has been centered around small, model organisms like zebrafish, leaving true aquaculture organisms (oyster, shrimp, algae, etc.) largely unexplored. A newly proposed facility will take lessons learned from the AQH and provide more capability for research. The Monolith facility will feature: 30L usable volume, Variable Day/Night Cycles, Automatic feeding/circulation, Command and Data Handling (Imagery, Temperature, Salinity, pH, etc.).
The first mission will be performed to study the growth and physiology of oysters in the absence of gravity. There is currently limited to no research performed on mollusks in space. Terrestrially, the oyster is a critical organism for the remediation of salt and brackish water. Understanding oyster physiology in microgravity may uncover methods to reduce mortality rates, which is critical for the health of terrestrial coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, research and public interest in the oyster will increase awareness of the ongoing efforts to restore oyster populations in coastal ecosystems. Insights gained from this research will lay the foundation for future breakthroughs in aquaculture across species, fostering more sustainable food sources on Earth
A new dedicated aquaculture facility will act as a bridge between ground-based research and flight-based research. This facility will provide both terrestrial biologists and astrobiologists the ability to perform research on aquatic organisms and systems in a space environment. The goal is to provide tangible scientific breakthroughs supporting terrestrial aquaculture and aquatic habitat conservation.
Future missions will study a variety of critical organisms such as shrimp, fish, algae, and kelp, laying the groundwork for more complex, larger habitats with diverse ecosystems, paving the way for breakthroughs in sustainable aquaculture on Earth.