British scientists launch tiny worms to ISS to study effects
A group of British scientists is launching tiny worms (yes, real ones) to the International Space Station on April 10, 2026.
Their mission is to see how living in space for a long time affects these creatures, which could teach us a lot about what might happen to humans on future space adventures.
Worms to launch aboard Cygnus XL
The worms will travel on a Cygnus XL cargo ship and hang out in a special pod on the ISS before spending up to 15 weeks outside, all watched by automated cameras (no astronaut babysitting needed).
Researchers from Exeter and Leicester hope this will reveal how things like zero gravity and radiation mess with cells and genes.
As Tim Etheridge from the team puts it, figuring this out is key for keeping astronauts healthy during deep-space missions, and maybe even one day living on the Moon.