NASA has announced the winners of its “Deep Space Food Challenge,” a competition aimed at developing innovative food production systems for long-duration space missions. The challenge began in 2021 and saw participation from over 300 teams across 32 countries. The top prize of $750,000 went to Interstellar Lab, a small business with team members from France, Texas, and Florida.
Led by Barbara Belvisi, Interstellar Lab developed a food system that combines artificial intelligence, advanced equipment, and bioscience to create plant-based ingredients suitable for space travel. Their self-sustaining food production operation grows microgreens, vegetables, and insects to produce essential micronutrients. Four American teams were awarded $50,000 each and invited to compete in the final phase of the competition.
Nasa’s deep space food challenge
Phase 3, hosted at Ohio State University’s campus in Columbus, Ohio, required teams to construct a full-scale model of their food production system and demonstrate its functionality over two months. Key milestones included palatability, safety, sensory testing, and harvesting volumes.
Among the runners-up was Nolux, a team of researchers who received $250,000 for developing an artificial photosynthetic system that produces plant and fungal-based foods without biological photosynthesis. Another runner-up, who also received $250,000, developed the SATED (Safe Appliance, Tidy, Efficient & Delicious) device. This innovative system can create various customizable foods, such as peach cobbler and pizza, using in-situ grown ingredients and those with extended shelf-life.
Congratulations to the winners and all the finalist teams for their many years dedicated to innovating solutions for the Deep Space Food Challenge,” said Amy Kaminski, program executive for NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing at NASA Headquarters in Washington. These food production technologies could change the future of food accessibility in other worlds and on our home planet.
The Deep Space Food Challenge has showcased groundbreaking technological advancements that could revolutionize food production for future space missions and potentially benefit food accessibility on Earth.
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