The Moon Could Be a Habitat for Humanity, But What Will We Eat When We Get There? Scientists may be able to create pasta and protein bars from the air, but that’s just the beginning.
The race into space is accelerating. Over the next two years, NASA plans to send astronauts back to the Moon. The International Space Station (ISS), designed to operate in orbit for 15 years but now entering its 26th year, will soon be replaced.
Scientists are considering the feasibility of conducting long-distance crewed space missions. Additionally, there is a rapid rise in tourism projects reaching the edge of space. All of this raises a significant question: What will we eat when we get there?
“Food helps astronauts stay sharp. Delicious, diverse food that meets the needs of each astronaut is essential for the success of a space mission. I think people underestimate its importance,” said Dr. Sonja Brungs, Deputy Head of the Astronaut Operations Group at the European Space Agency (ESA).
Currently, astronauts are provided with small pouches of pre-packaged meals. These meals come from specialized food production companies and are then freeze-dried, dehydrated, or thermally stabilized. Astronauts will add water to heat or cool the food. They can also bring a special meal to remind them of home (this dish also needs to be carefully prepared and thermally stabilized).
There are certain foods to avoid: Anything that produces crumbs, such as bread, is not allowed in space because it can easily float around in a low-gravity environment, meaning it could be inhaled or fall into critical equipment. Salt is restricted because the body retains sodium differently in space, leading to faster bone loss. Alcohol is also prohibited as it affects the wastewater recycling system on the ISS.
“Innovation is definitely a concern. Astronauts in space for just six months will miss the crunchiness of food. What is really important for mental health is having a variety of food textures, especially for long-distance space missions where they need a wide range of different foods,” Ms. Brungs stated.
ISS has a small vegetable garden on board.
In 2021, NASA launched the Space Food Challenge to explore new ways to create food with limited resources, minimize waste, and provide safe, nutritious, and tasty food for long-term missions in space.
Solar Foods, based in Helsinki, Finland, is one of the eight companies that made it to the final stage of the competition. Their notable idea is to use waste from space to create protein.
Mr. Artuu Luukanen, Vice President of Space and Defense at Solar Foods, stated: “We create food from nothing, literally.” His company has discovered an edible bacterium in rural Finland that grows by consuming a mixture of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and oxygen. The result is a source of bacterial protein.
This protein can be mixed with various flavors or textures to create nutritious food items, such as pasta, protein bars, meat alternatives, and even egg substitutes.
“In any habitat beyond Earth, you have two main waste gases available: hydrogen and carbon dioxide. So, what we’re talking about here is not just space food production technology, but it will also be an integral part of environmental control systems and life support,” Mr. Luukanen explained.
The protein from Solar Foods can be processed into a paste or fine powder, then mixed with flour and other standard food ingredients to create high-protein foods like pasta, protein bars, and even chocolate. Experiments are ongoing to see if it can be mixed with oil and formed into steak-like textures using 3D printing.
Fresh food is also an aspect to consider: While vitamin pills can be helpful, astronauts need fresh produce. Experiments are still ongoing to explore how to grow vegetables in this unique zero-gravity, no-sunlight environment. The ISS has its own small vegetable garden where astronauts study plant growth in a microgravity environment.
Back on Earth, the Interstellar Laboratory on Merritt Island, USA, has developed a modular bioregenerative system to produce greens, mushrooms, and even insects; the company also made it to the finals of NASA’s Space Food Challenge, alongside Enigma of the Cosmos in Australia, a company researching ways to cultivate seedlings in space.
A potential future for space food may include mushrooms. Three out of six companies that made it to the finals of the Space Food Challenge are researching ideas around mushrooms. The company Mycorena in Sweden has developed a system that combines microalgae and mushrooms to produce mycoprotein (a type of protein derived from a fungus, often used in meat substitute products).
“Mushrooms are very versatile. They can grow on various substrates and grow quickly. A small and efficient system has the capacity to produce food for the crew. It is also very resilient, radiation-resistant, as well as easy to store and transport,” explained Mr. Carlos Otero, who works in research and development at Mycorena.
As private companies increasingly enter the space race, opportunities for private chefs are also on the rise. Chef Rasmus Munk from the Michelin-starred restaurant Alchemist in Copenhagen, Denmark, is one of those preparing to take flight.
Chef Munk recently partnered with SpaceVIP to serve a rich dining experience aboard Space Perspective’s Spaceship Neptune, where tickets are priced at £397,000 (approximately 12.9 billion VND) per person for a six-hour trip to the edge of space.
ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer holds a food package from his home country of Germany aboard the spacecraft.
Chef Munk is one of many chefs who see potential in serving affluent tourists on commercial space flights. While these advancements may seem limited to a select few who can afford such a trip (or astronauts), the development of space food is not only about what we will eat in a zero-gravity environment but also what we can eat right here on Earth.
The NASA Space Food Challenge is also designed to create advanced food systems that will benefit us on Earth, paving new paths for food production in harsh and resource-scarce environments.
The third phase of the NASA Space Food Challenge will take place this summer to further test how these projects function in space-like conditions.
