Bringing Food Deliveries to Mars One Step at a Time

Although the prospect of expanding humankind’s footprint in space sounds exciting, it comes with a number of challenges, one of which - the lack of sustainable in-space food production.

What is happening currently with space food? 

Space missions are supplied with calcium-rich, nutritious food that is packaged using similar methods to those used by the military: zip lock bags, retort pouches, and cans. The supplies run out at some point, and the missions can either return back to Earth or receive more, which is expensive, time-consuming, and oftentimes risky. In-space food production can potentially eliminate the headache, but it requires a great deal of investment, testing, and innovation.

Artist’s impression of Space Hotel, where people will have space food too

Any in-space food production must satisfy at least the most basic nutritional and safety requirements. For instance, the food has to provide necessary nutrients, be free of toxic substances or pathogens, and have a long shelf life. Additionally, the production cycle must be short and simple; the equipment must be reliable and efficient - producing little to no waste. As it currently stands, in-space food production has not yet been established, although many spacetech companies are working on technologies that have commercial applications on Earth and can potentially enable the production.

As far as we can tell, there’s no market for pure-play in-space food production solutions. However, we’ve identified over 50 enablers that have landed roughly $500M since 2012 from VCs and other ecosystem stakeholders. Grants and government contracts remain the largest source of funding. In addition, the distribution of funding is skewed towards just a few companies that actively cooperate with NASA. Vertical farming and the creation of artificial ecosystems sectors have the highest number of companies, although they remain the least funded. The industry is making the first steps and a small group of early adopters believes their bets will pay off in the next 7-10 years since several companies are planning on deploying commercial space stations by 2030.

Rocinante galley - The expanse (Sci-fi series)

To-do list is longer than a Thanksgiving grocery store receipt

First of all, astronauts and space colonies need the tools to conduct applied research in space, so they can develop new food-related solutions that are resistant to conditions like microgravity, solar radiation, etc. US-based In Orbit Aerospace creates infrastructure for large-scale research and production of specific products in space. Another American enabler called Nanoracks aspires to operate a commercial space station and small satellites, aiming to use a specific microgravity environment for various studies. Last year, NASA awarded Nanoracks, Voyager Space, and Lockheed Martin a $160M grant to design the commercial space station.

Once we’ve built the brick-and-mortar, we’ll need technologies to grow food using vertical farming and artificial ecosystems (e.g.,  plants-fungi, insects-fungi, etc). Interstellar Lab has raised over $6M to produce special modules-phytotrons that are capable of autonomous cultivation of microgreens, vegetables, mushrooms, and insects as a closed ecosystem. Moreover, we’ll require technologies and equipment that can create the final forms with 3D printing. Colombian ALSEC Alimentos Secos develops equipment for the production of powdered foods using 3D printing, microencapsulation, and AI technologies. BeeHex produces modules for the sublimation and pulverization of vegetable raw materials and cultured meat which have a long shelf life and can be utilized for the production of 3D-printed food.

The Martian movie - garden on Mars

We will also need to decipher how to use waste (both gaseous and more complex) as a feedstock for the synthesis of complex organic molecules – proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, including in the form of microbial biomass. Helsinki-based biosynthesis company Solar Foods has raised over $42M to develop a technology for the production of microbial protein using gaseous raw materials (carbon dioxide, etc.). This year, Air Company received more than $30M from investors to synthesize glucose molecules from carbon dioxide and water, followed by the production of starch and other carbohydrates or molecules. Mycorena uses organic waste to grow mushroom biomass that it processes into freeze-dried and powdered protein products. The company recently raised $25M in Series A funding.

Furthermore, astronauts will need to use various cellular technologies to create alternative food products like cell-based meat, milk, and fruits, among others. Aleph Farms uses a natural process occurring in cows to regenerate and build muscle tissue. The company isolates the cells that are responsible for the process and creates a three-dimensional structure of meat with the same complex tissue and components.

Photo by Phoenix Han on Unsplash

Space agencies are rolling up their sleeves 

Governments and space agencies remain the driving force of the industry. In 2018, NASA launched the CO2 Conversion Challenge to seek out innovative startups focused on converting carbon dioxide into other compounds that can potentially be used to sustain life on Mars. In 2021, the agency collaborated with the Canadian counterpart and dozens of companies to create a food production technology that could sustain a crew of 4 on a 3-year deep space mission. At the moment, there are several NASA modules on the ISS that are studying opportunities for in-space food production – Veggie (open growing system), Advanced Plant Habitat (closed autonomous growing system), Biological Research in Canisters (influence of space conditions on plants at the cellular level).

 The European Space Agency (ESA) has investigated the capability of microbes in order to extract useful elements from rocks and break them into the soil for plant growth. Also, the agency has launched several initiatives to explore the role of gravity on root and plant development, as well as the effects of food production hardware design on plant cultivation in microgravity, these include MULTI-TROP, Hydra, Seedling Growth, and Plant RNA Regulation.

China’s space agency focuses on space mutagenesis (i.e., space breeding). Since 1978, the country’s agency has sent 300+ kg seeds of more than 70 crops including cereals, cotton, oil, vegetable, and fruits to space. The goal of the experiments is to explore the role of microgravity, cosmic radiation, and other aspects of the space environment on plant growth. The unique environment leads to subtle changes to DNA that occasionally gives the space-bred seeds advantageous abilities: to tolerate droughts better, resist certain diseases, produce more food from a single plant, or require less water. According to the state’s officials, the experiments have produced more than 200 new types of mutated plants in China that have been approved for large-scale cultivation, ranging from grains to vegetables and fruits. 

In-space food production remains a long-term milestone that requires substantial investments and R&D. Multiple promising companies have appeared but the industry will be driven by space agencies for the foreseeable future. We hope that the enabling technologies will not only tap into new opportunities in space but also help us eradicate food scarcity on Earth. Do you think space food would taste differently? Comment below how much you would pay for a space steak.