On the International Space Station, astronauts typically bag their waste and store it on vehicles that either return it to Earth or burn it up in the atmosphere. While this method works for short-term missions, it could be expensive and logistically problematic on missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

Recycling waste on board is one way of mitigating these issues. Currently, astronauts on the ISS rely on high-temperature reactors to process small amounts of rubbish and break it down into oxygen and water, for example. However, the remaining waste is still sent back to our planet, contributing to space debris. To address this, Polish company Astronika has developed an insect bioreactor with funding from the Discovery element of ESA's Basic Activities.