Frontier Space, a Cranfield University spin-out, has launched an automated laboratory into orbit as part of a European Space Agency (ESA) project. The mission, which launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 21, 2025, aims to assess the feasibility of producing lab-grown food in microgravity, potentially revolutionizing long-duration space missions.
Housed in a re-entry capsule from ATMOS Space Cargo, the laboratory contains three payloads designed to test various components of Frontier's SpaceLab, including microfluidics chips and an imaging system. One payload, from Imperial College London, will transport biological specimens into orbit for analysis upon their return to Earth.
Imperial College researchers are exploring precision fermentation in space, a process that involves genetically engineering food from yeast. If successful, astronauts could manufacture essential consumables in space, significantly reducing the cost and logistical challenges of supplying long-distance missions. Currently, food costs on the International Space Station (ISS) can reach as high as £20,000 per person per day.
Dr. Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro from Imperial College emphasizes the potential of cultivated cells to provide food, pharmaceuticals, fuels, and bioplastics using readily available resources. This innovation would greatly enhance the feasibility and sustainability of future space exploration endeavors. Professor David Cullen from Cranfield University sees Frontier Space's success as a validation of the university's work and the potential for advanced bioscience and biotechnological development in space.