Could bat blood be the key to interstellar space travel?

Could bat blood be the key to humans being able to achieve interstellar space travel? Experts suspect so.

Because of how our bodies function, the idea of long-term space travel has never been a real possibility for humans. But, if we were able to hibernate, it would be a game-changer. A new study has looked into it and found that the key to hibernation might lie in the blood of bats.

Researchers from Greifswald University in Germany revealed how a type of red blood cell, known as erythrocytes, plays a significant role in enabling bats to survive in the extreme cold while they hibernate.

They compared the erythrocytes in the blood of two species of bats that are known to hibernate during colder months – Nyctalus noctula and Rousettus aegyptiacus – with those found in humans.

What they found was that as the temperature dropped, the erythrocytes of the bats continued to function normally and remain elastic, seemingly adapting to the cold. This allows the bats’ metabolism and circulation of blood cells to continue.

By contrast, human erythrocytes become more viscous and less flexible as the temperature drops below normal body temperature.

While experts now understand the properties of bat blood which allows them to safely hibernate, how they will replicate that in humans for long-term, interstellar space travel remains to be determined.

Gerald Kerth, the lead author of the study, explained: “Putting humans into a state of low temperature during an interstellar flight has advantages. We’re not saying this will happen in the next three years, but it’s an important first step.”

If achieved, it could allow human astronauts to travel for longer, require less food and oxygen and lessen the psychological burden of long-term isolation.

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