Mission critical: Astronaut food that is nutritious, yummy, and easy to produce
NASA is exploring advanced food systems to support long-duration space missions, such as travel to Mars. The initiative focuses on creating nutritious, culturally diverse, and sustainable food solutions that also provide psychological comfort to astronauts.
Why it matters
Developing self-sustaining food production is a critical hurdle for the feasibility of long-term human space exploration beyond Earth's orbit.
Recurring stories and special news packages from C&EN.
On April 7, the crewmembers aboard NASA’s Artemis II spacecraft were minutes away from breaking the record for longest distance humans have traveled from Earth when, in a live broadcast, an unexpected item stole the show: a jar of Nutella hazelnut spread floating by in front of the camera.
The clip went viral and gave Nutella priceless advertising. It also highlighted a crucial need for human space travel—food that provides comfort in addition to calories. “Ultimately, the goal is to keep the astronauts healthy, both with the nutrition that’s provided to them but also the psychological aspects that food provides,” says Ralph Fritsche , an expert in space food systems and consultant to NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge. It is now in its second round, called Mars to Table .
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in