The parasitic space worms are coming, and they’re ready to kill.
No, it’s not the tagline for some Tremors in Space B-movie monster flick. Instead, it’s the result of some research recently published in the journal npj Microgravity. And despite how it sounds, it’s actually good news. (Spoiler: it’s not us that they’re killing.)
Here’s the issue: One of the many, many problems that need to be solved before space colonization can take place is what people are going to eat. Right now, astronauts rely on packets of dehydrated food that are launched into space either on their original journey or on top-up resupply missions. However, this isn’t a viable solution when, for instance, colonists arrive on Mars. As Andy Weir’s The Martian suggested, space agriculture is a distinct possibility for providing a continuous supply of sustenance. Keep Reading