To resolve the issue of feeding astronauts on long-duration missions, NASA began the Deep Area Meals Problem in January 2021, asking corporations to suggest novel methods to develop sustainable meals for future missions. About 200 corporations entered—a discipline that was whittled right down to 11 groups in January 2023 as a part of section 2, with eight US groups every given $20,000 in funding and three further worldwide groups additionally acknowledged. On Might 19, NASA introduced the groups that may progress into the ultimate section of the competition, with a handful of winners to be introduced in April 2024 following extra detailed checks of their proposals.

“Part 2 was form of a kitchen-level demonstration,” says Angela Herblet at NASA’s Marshall Area Flight Middle in Alabama, the undertaking supervisor for the problem. “Part 3 goes to problem the groups to scale their applied sciences.”

Entrants needed to present methods that would function for 3 years and feed a crew of 4 on a potential house mission. The proposals didn’t want to provide a crew’s whole food plan, however they did must create a wide range of nutritious meals for the astronauts. Earlier this yr, judges then visited every firm to “see the meals and actually analyze it,” says Herblet.

One firm took a very uncommon method to the duty. Air Firm, based mostly in New York and one of many 5 US-based finalists, designed a system that would use the carbon dioxide expelled by astronauts in house to supply alcohol, which might then be used to develop edible meals. The corporate already develops alcohols from CO2 for airplane gasoline and fragrance.

“It’s making meals out of air,” says Stafford Sheehan, cofounder and chief know-how officer of Air Firm. “It seems like magic, however if you see it truly working, it’s way more easy. We’re taking CO2, combining it with water and electrical energy, and making proteins.”

AIR COMPANY

The method produces alcohol that may then be fed to yeast, producing “one thing that’s edible,” says Sheehan. For the competitors they created basically a protein shake, described as being much like one created from seitan, a vegan meat substitute. “It truly tastes fairly good,” says Sheehan. For astronauts in house, the system would ferment repeatedly to provide meals. “Everytime you really feel such as you desire a house protein shake, you make one from this yeast that’s rising,” says Sheehan.