Fish in Space

First Name: Daisy
First Letter of Last Name: M
Grade: 6
What is your favorite planet or star? Sun
What is your favorite rocket? Saturn V
Question: Can fish be launched into space if kept in water?

Hi Daisy, thanks for the question! Hey, we have the same favorite star—the sun! I like the sun because it was created by our powerful God on day four of creation week as “the greater light to rule the day” (Genesis 1:16), and he made it just right for life on earth. I also like it because I worked on a NASA program called Parker Solar Probe—the first mission to “touch” the sun—to learn more about our nearest star.1

(credit: NASA)

And it just so happens that we also have the same favorite rocket—the Saturn V, which took the Apollo astronauts to the moon (“the lesser light to rule the night”) over 50 years ago. By the way, I recently had the great honor and privilege of meeting one of these brave men who walked on the moon—Charlie Duke! He was the Apollo 16 Lunar Module pilot in 1972 and was the tenth and youngest person to walk on the moon. But most importantly, he’s a Christian (a child of God) who loves Jesus and has committed his life to serving our Lord.2 Here’s a photo of him, me, and Dr. Danny Faulker (our resident astronomer) that we took while at the Creation Museum:

(from left to right: Danny Faulker, Charlie Duke, and me)

Okay, now to your question: Can fish be launched into space if kept in water? Yes! And I know, it may sound surprising, but in fact, there have been several missions that have done just that—sending different types of fish (I like to call them “aqua astronauts”) to the International Space Station (ISS).

For example, in 2012, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched an aquarium tank full of Japanese rice fish, also known as medaka, to the ISS. And no, they weren’t sent as simply “pets” for the astronauts. The goal was to study how being weightless in space (where everything floats!) affects bones and muscles. But why medaka fish? That type of fish is actually a good choice for many reasons, such as having clear skin. This makes it easy to see inside them and study how their bones and muscles change over time. Plus, they can breed (have babies) quickly and easily in space, allowing research to be done over multiple generations.

Nihonmedaka
NOZO, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Another example was in 2014 when a bunch of zebrafish were sent to the ISS with the Expedition 42 astronaut crew (which, by the way, was led by Barry “Butch” Wilmore—a Christian astronaut).3 Again, the goal was to see how the zebrafish’s bones and muscles would change in space.

Zebrafisch
Azul, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons

Why do these experiments matter? Because astronauts’ bones and muscles actually get weaker in space!4 So by studying the effects on these aqua astronauts, scientists can learn more about what happens to bones and muscles in space, and that can help scientists find ways to keep human astronauts strong during long space missions. Plus, this research may also benefit people on earth, such as those who are on bed rest or who can’t move around much.

Photo of ISS taken by a crew member on the space shuttle Endeavour (credit: NASA)

And on top of all that, the more we learn about creatures like fish in space, the more we understand how God designed living creatures to adapt. Yes, even fish in space can remind us of how amazing God’s creation really is! So each time we study these small aquatic creatures—even in space—we discover a bit more of his awesome power and creativity.