Astrophage is the microorganism causing the sun to lose energy by consuming its radiation. This same Astrophage is also the fuel for Ryland Grace’s starship, the Hail Mary, because it stores and releases huge amounts of energy used for propulsion.
However, the fuel (Astrophage) itself is not "feeding" anything else on the ship. Instead, another microorganism called Taumoeba feeds on Astrophage, threatening the fuel supply. So:
- Astrophage causes the sun’s energy loss and is the starship’s fuel.
- Taumoeba feed on Astrophage, endangering the fuel and mission.
In short, the fuel is the problematic microorganism draining the sun, but it is not feeding anything else; rather, it is being eaten by another microbe.
Sources
Recapy curated
Tap to read source excerpt
Related work · Project Hail Mary (book)
Tap to read source excerpt
Related work · Project Hail Mary (book)
Tap to read source excerpt