On December 13, a rocket was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. The passenger was a butterfly in the process of transforming into a chrysalis.

A few weeks later, images sent from orbit confirmed that the insect had completed its normal metamorphosis. It emerged from the pupa, spread its wings, and moved inside a small sealed chamber.

The experiment was conducted by a team from China’s Chongqing University, which built a small “space ecosystem payload” called Shennong Kaiwu-2 and launched it aboard a Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket. After liftoff, the payload entered low Earth orbit and began a “biological testing mission,” the researchers said.

Temperature control within the sealed payload kept the chamber near 30 °C, allowing the pupa to complete metamorphosis. The adult butterfly lived for several days inside a 14.2-liter chamber weighing 8.3 kilograms, moving freely, flapping its wings and occasionally resting on leaves placed in its tiny space habitat.

While it’s easy to romanticize this result, the researchers explain the experiment in practical terms. Their goal was to determine whether a small, closed-loop test ecosystem could remain stable in orbit long enough to support one of life’s most complex changes.

Building an ecosystem for spaceflight

ShennongKaiwu 2 was designed to mimic the basic cycling that sustains life on Earth. Plants inside the capsule produced oxygen and served as food, while microorganisms processed waste and kept the air stable. Sensors monitored oxygen, carbon dioxide, pressure, light, and humidity.

Professor Xie Gengxin, director of the Institute of Space Science and Technology at Chongqing University and the payload’s lead designer, said the butterfly’s behavior goes against common assumptions.

“Many people thought that these butterflies could not fly in microgravity, but what we observed was that they quickly adapted to their new environment,” he says.

Microgravity changes the physical conditions on which living systems depend. The researchers reported that changes in body fluid distribution, disruption of mass transport, and exposure to radiation are important challenges for both the butterfly and its surrounding ecosystem. In orbit, even the movement of air, moisture, and nutrients can be difficult to control.

Engineers also had to face structural challenges. Xie said the team needed to prevent oxidation and corrosion of the sealed capsule’s magnesium alloy components caused by high humidity. This issue has previously limited the length of time such habitats can operate. By addressing this issue, he was able to create what he describes as a “safety barrier” that protects the miniature ecosystem and allows it to function in orbit.

To better reflect real spaceflight conditions, the team operated the capsule without additional radiation shielding, active temperature control, or full-spectrum lighting. Qiu Dan, deputy chief designer of the payload and head of biological systems, said the experiment was designed to run completely independently. “Unlike previous experiments (by other countries) on the International Space Station, the conversion process was completely unmanned,” she said.

Preparing for deep space

Space agencies have long relied on plant and microbial research to support systems that remove carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and recycle water for astronauts. Future deep space missions aim to go further by developing self-sustaining ecosystems that help organisms maintain these critical functions.

The butterfly experiment extends that trend by testing growth as well as survival. The experiment showed that in microgravity, organisms can go through all stages of development while being exposed to altered gravity.

China has gained experience with closed ecosystems in orbit. In 2024, zebrafish According to Aerospace Global News, it survived for 43 days within the closed aquatic ecosystem of the space station Tiangong. According to the same source, 4 laboratory mice It was then sent into orbit. Two mice subsequently gave birth on Earth as part of China’s first spaceflight study to examine mammalian reproduction after exposure in orbit.

“The successful emergence of butterflies does not simply mean that there were insects in space,” Xie said. “This is a solid step forward in validating the feasibility of long-term operation of complex life support systems in orbit.”

Xie has tried life in unusual places before. In 2019, he was the lead designer of an experiment in which cotton seeds germinated for short periods in a sealed biosphere in China. Chang’e 4 mission.

He is now linking these experiments to a future where ecosystems move with astronauts. “True ‘space agriculture’ aims to utilize space resources for agricultural production,” Xie said, imagining butterflies pollinating plants in a space farm. “In the future, farms on the moon or Mars will become a reality,” he added.