Dagmara Stasiowska, PhD student at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, checks the impact of stress-related to overloads generated by a rocket during space travel on the correct reproduction of honey bees, and especially on the functioning of queens’ organisms.

As part of her PhD research, Dagmara Stasiowska is examining eight bee colonies. The four queens, along with a small group of bees were examined on a centrifuge belonging to the Military Institute of Aviation Medicine. The simulator is usually used during the training of astronauts and military pilots.

With atypical passengers on board, the overload profile of the rocket taking off was simulated. The aim of the experiment is to check the suitability of the biocybernetic model of a bee colony in the context of subjecting a queen bee to the stresses of a space flight.

The research is carried out with the participation of a biologist and beekeeper, Dr Michał Kolasa and the Apikultura Foundation, dealing with the dissemination of knowledge about beekeeping.