Scientists in China have hatched a butterfly in space for the first time. Researchers at Chongqing University confirmed that a butterfly came out of its chrysalis while travelling around Earth last year. A chrysalis is a hard protective shell where a butterfly changes before it emerges. The experiment took place inside a sealed container onboard a rocket.
Pictures from the experiment showed the butterflies fluttering their wings and resting on leaves in a micro-gravity environment. Micro-gravity means there is very little gravity, so things can float more easily than they do on Earth. Scientists said the achievement gives them useful information about how living things may survive in the difficult conditions of space.
The butterflies lived inside a special container that was designed to work without human help. The container held plants, including chilli pepper varieties, which helped provide oxygen and food for the butterflies. This allowed the insects to live in their own small ecosystem during the space experiment.
