Why do you send crickets to space? To test a high-protein, low-cost, low-weight, self-sustaining food source for space travel.
How do you get the crickets to space? On a sounding rocket, as live Acheta domesticus eggs in an experimental payload, to measure viability in challenging gravitational conditions.
A team of four UCCS students are doing just that, as they take on the challenge of determining if live cricket eggs could be considered a useful payload for future space missions to provide a sustainable high-protein food source for astronauts.
Sound of Crickets team members Bryson Chittum, William Kilcrease, Anna Daetz, and Aaron Kerber see the launch as the summit of their two-semester senior design capstone course and the competitive NASA RockSat-C experiment process.
No one expects astronauts to eat live crickets like in a survival course, but team member Aaron Kerber thought about if he would eat crickets: “I’d be open to eating them. I already eat whey-isolate protein, an essentially pure powdered protein, and am pretty sure that crickets (which are mostly protein) would be about the same experience.”
Faculty advisor Lynnane George, Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, ate crickets as part of her survival training in the Air Force. She reports that when cooked, they taste delicious, similar to almonds.
Really, crickets in space? Team member Anna Daetz said, “I was particularly interested in the crickets as I could see the significant impact it would have on food sourcing for space missions. The results from the experiment will have a direct influence on research to come.”
RockSat-C is a NASA program for higher-education students to design, build and fly a science experiment aboard a sounding rocket. Sounding rockets fly to the Karman Line, the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, officially identified as 100 km above sea level. The rocket launch will be from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia.
The once-in-a-lifetime launch trip extends the real-world learning opportunities for these hard-working students. Launch days and adjacent backup launch days give a large time window for any launch weather issues that come up. WFF conducts final vibe and spin/balance testing for flight readiness, and the team makes any last minute-modifications or repairs needed for compliance.
Career exploration happens during the facility tour day. Students expand their professional and technical communication skills and show their understanding of the project during a required presentation to WFF personnel, followed by team photos on the launch pad. Kerber is especially excited about touring through the rocket launch facility.
Senior Design program sponsor Widefield School District 3 covered the team’s launch and experiment materials and fabrication costs, and gained secondary student science experience by having its students prepare the stay on-the-ground comparison experiment.
The team is determined to meet their travel expense goals and has been actively raising funds through a GoFundMe campaign, a donation from faculty advisor Lynnane George’s Colorado Space Grant, plus the pursuit matching funds. The 11-day team trip cost is $10,000 for travel, lodging, food, transportation, and other expenses, and the students have raised $3,450 before finding any matching funds. The team must be present for the entire 11-day RockSat-C activity and launch window.
Two students recently graduated and are limited in using student funds. However, the team wants everyone to be able to see the culmination of their efforts. Daetz said, “Even without fully meeting our funding goal, we will still go on our launch trip. Unfortunately, this means each individual will be responsible for trip costs, which imposes a significant financial burden on each student.”
Getting to this point in the RockSat-C process required persistence to make it through multiple reviews. Twelve teams were selected for the Conceptual Design Review (CoDR), which covered mission overview, objectives, flight requirements, concept of operations, conceptual ideas, design selection and explanation, project management, budget, schedule and the necessity of the mission occurring in space.
Seven teams made it through the Preliminary Design Review (PDR), which covered expected results, minimum success criteria, experimental requirements and preliminary design schematics and specifications.
In addition to working to meet the requirements of their UCCS Senior Design course, the students were simultaneously meeting requirements and benchmarks with the RockSat-C Subsystem Testing Review (STR), Integrated Subsystem Testing Review (ISTR) and Full Mission Simulation Review (FMSR).
As if that wasn’t enough, these high-achieving students also found time to author a paper and take the cricket experiment to a larger audience at a regional student paper conference.
Winning second place in the Undergraduate Team category, Daetz, who is an Aerospace Engineering major, presented the team’s work titled “Sound of Crickets: Design of Experimental System for Analysis of the Effects of Rocket Launch on Acheta domesticus Cricket Eggs” at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Region V Student Paper Conference, held April 3–4, 2025 at the University of Minnesota.
Kerber shared his thoughts on going to the launch in June. “For me, it is a super exciting moment in my life that I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” he said. “Being able to participate in a rocket launch before my career has really even begun is mind-boggling. I’m so grateful and proud of all the work our team has done to bring this project to its current state and couldn’t be happier to do something impactful for the future of manned spaceflight. I’m honored to have been a part of this project and would love to see our efforts come to fruition at the launch.”
Daetz’s feelings about the launch are understandable to anyone who has worked on a long work project. She said, “It is very surreal. We’ve all worked so hard the last two semesters to bring the experiment to fruition. Being able to witness the pinnacle of this project in person will be very rewarding.”
The senior design program in the College of Engineering and Applied Science gives graduating seniors real-world engineering experience prior to graduation. Students work in a team environment, meeting capstone course and project deliverables, while managing their project start to finish for their external project sponsor.
Student interest in space careers was sparked by this project. Kerber said, “I was pre-medical studies prior to my interest in aerospace engineering and being able to work on an experiment involving a biologic has been nothing but a joy. I entered the industry with thoughts only of ‘Oh cool! Rocket design and stuff!’ I’ve since realized how broad the field is and have a greater interest in designing supportive systems for space, like life support, combatting orbital and interplanetary musculoskeletal atrophy, and sustainable food sources.”
Daetz said, “I’ve always been interested in the future of space and innovation. The Sound of Crickets project, while very challenging, pushed us to think outside the box on how to keep the cricket eggs alive, within the requirements. The key motivation for the project is to further research on self-sustaining, low-cost protein sources for long-term space missions. If fully successful, it will be used to inspire and be a reference for subsequent experiments.”
Following up, will Daetz consider eating crickets? Daetz said, “Absolutely. Apart from the scientific implications for the future, I will be snacking on a cricket when the rocket launches! I will be convincing my teammates to do the same through any means necessary.”
For more information on the Sound of Crickets senior design project, contact Associate Professor Lynnane George at [email protected]. Or, access the team’s GoFundMe.
About UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science
The UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science produces skilled graduates across 25 engineering, computer science, and cybersecurity fields. With undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and certificates, the college helps our students meet career goals. New buildings and labs, an international senior design program, and undergraduate and graduate research opportunities enhance learning and prepare students to succeed in industry, government, research and entrepreneurship.