Taking our garden bugs to the Moon, Mars, and beyond

Join Professor Thompson on an interactive talk and exploration of taking bugs into space to help us live on the Moon and Mars. In 2003 Prof Thompson flew spiders and fruit flies on the NASA Space Shuttle in an experiment to see if bugs had the right stuff to help us live in space. On show will be samples of the experiments and space flown plants and seeds that were used to find out what sort of greenhouse plants an astronaut would be able to grow on Mars.

Find out how is science used to find out which bug should be taken to Mars. What are the challenges preventing us from going to Moon or Mars today? Find out why are everyday garden insects important to our survival on the Moon and Mars? Learn how you can contribute to space research in your own garden.