In the future, humans may be able to grow nutritious produce in deep space. In anticipation of future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency have launched the Deep Space Food Challenge. Researchers, scientists, and other innovators are challenged to develop food production systems that will enable astronauts to grow their own food in space.
Missions in space could last many years, so having food production systems will reduce or eliminate the need to resupply food from Earth. Having a fresh food supply that is highly nutritious is key as well for the astronaut’s health.
“To boldly go where no human has gone before, we have to invent food production systems that can be used in space. These new solutions could also improve our food systems on Earth. They might even help us reduce food insecurity on our planet,” from a video introducing the Deep Space Food Challenge.
Some Canadians are already getting involved in the challenge. Mark Lefsrud, an Associate Professor in Bioresource Engineering at McGill, along with his team, are looking into ways to increase certain compounds in an astronaut’s diet that could protect them from radiation risk as they venture beyond Low Earth Orbit. Another factor they are considering is taste, being able to grow fresh produce in space is useless if the astronaut doesn’t want to eat what is produced.
In Nunavut, a community-led food production system has been growing sustainable, fresh food in harsh environments since 2019. Operating at the Naurvik greenhouse, the production system is kept inside a hydroponic, containerized station, and is a great model for this challenge. Naurvik operates through 24-hour darkness as well as 24-hour sunlight by using green energy such as solar and wind. The greenhouse can also withstand a wide range of temperatures.
The Deep Space Food Challenge will wrap up in spring 2024, and participants can win prize money for their ideas. To learn more about this challenge, please visit: https://www.deepspacefoodchallenge.org/