NASA has plans for a permanent lunar outpost by the end of the decade, with human Mars exploration to follow. But as we set up base camps beyond Earth, human settlers in space will need to bring along an ecosystem that includes animals.
After all, animals could help perform vital tasks: like insects that pollinate, shrimp and fish that can be raised in small spaces and used as food sources, or tiny waterbears that can teach us how to withstand radiation. So which animals should colonize the moon, Mars, and beyond with the astronauts?
