As the European Space Agency embarks on a mission to explore space, it’s also growing food in orbit to sustain astronauts on long-duration missions. Lab-grown food production is being tested in space to assess its viability in low gravity and higher radiation environments.
The European Space Agency‘s (ESA) latest mission is not just about exploring space, but also about growing food in orbit. The experiment, which launched into space yesterday, aims to assess the viability of lab-grown food production in the low gravity and higher radiation environment of space.
Lab-grown food, also known as clean meat or cultured meat, is produced using cellular agriculture.
This method involves taking animal cells and growing them in a controlled environment to produce meat, dairy, or eggs.
Lab-grown food reduces the need for animal slaughter, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and conserves water resources.
According to a report by GFI, lab-grown meat production can reduce carbon footprint by up to 96% compared to traditional livestock farming.
The Challenge of Feeding Astronauts
Sending food for astronauts on long-duration missions is a costly endeavor, with estimates suggesting that it can cost up to £20,000 per astronaut per day. This is where lab-grown food comes into play. The technology involves growing food ingredients, such as protein, fat, and carbohydrates, in test tubes and vats and then processing them to make them look and taste like normal food.
The Science Behind Lab-Grown Food
Lab-grown food uses precision fermentation, a process that is similar to the fermentation used to make beer. However, instead of using yeast, scientists add genes to produce extra vitamins or other desired compounds. The resulting ‘food’ can be combined to create different dishes. In this experiment, a small bioreactor was sent into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to test whether foods can be successfully grown from cells in the weightlessness and higher radiation of space.
Precision fermentation is a cutting-edge technology that optimizes microbial fermentation processes.
By leveraging advanced computational models and machine learning algorithms, precision fermentation enables the production of high-quality bio-based products with increased efficiency and reduced waste.
This innovative approach is being applied in various industries, including food, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals.
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global precision fermentation market size was valued at USD 1.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 7.3 billion by 2028.
The Future of Food Production in Space
If successful, this experiment will pave the way for the development of a small pilot food production plant on the International Space Station (ISS) in two years’ time. The long-term goal is to have factories in orbit and on the Moon, which would enable humans to live and work in space sustainably.
Food production in space is a complex task due to microgravity, limited resources, and radiation exposure.
Current research focuses on hydroponics, aeroponics, and algae-based systems for sustainable food growth.
These methods use nutrient-rich solutions rather than soil, reducing water consumption and waste.
Scientists also explore using recycled materials and closed-loop life support systems to minimize resource usage.
Additionally, space-grown crops are studied for their potential health benefits in microgravity environments.
Tasting the Future
Imperial College’s master chef, Jakub Radzikowski, has been tasked with developing recipes using starches and proteins from naturally occurring fungi. Once lab-grown ingredients are approved, he plans to create dishes that are familiar to astronauts from different parts of the world, providing comfort in space.
Helen Sharman, the UK’s first astronaut and a PhD holder in chemistry, recently tasted one of Jakub Radzikowski‘s recipes and gave her expert view: ‘You get a really strong blast from the flavor. It is really delicious and very moreish.‘ Dr. Sharman also noted that lab-grown food could potentially be better for astronauts, as well as reduce costs to make long-term off-world habitation viable.
The Next Step
The data gathered from this experiment will inform the construction of a larger, better bioreactor which the scientists will send into space next year. The goal is to create a sustainable food production system that can support humans on long-duration missions in space.
