We reported some time ago that NASA was offering a very special challenge to ALL would-be inventors. The US Space Administration wanted to get the widest possible range of inputs on technologies for long-term space mission food…
The challenge…
NASA and the Canadian Space Agency partnered to set the Deep Space Food Challenge: “Our focus is on providing future space explorers and people on Earth nutritious foods they will enjoy.”
The Deep Space Food Challenge would identify food production technologies that can:
- Help fill food gaps for a three-year round-trip mission with no resupply
- Feed a crew of four (4) astronauts
- Improve the accessibility of food on Earth, in particular, via production directly in urban centers and in remote and harsh environments
- Achieve the greatest amount of food output with minimal inputs and minimal waste
- Create a variety of palatable, nutritious, and safe foods that requires little processing time for crew members
This Challenge seeks to incentivize teams to develop novel technologies and/or systems for food production that need not meet the full nutritional requirements of future crews, but can contribute significantly to and be integrated into a comprehensive food system.”
The challenge terms also specified that any solution submitted need not meet the full dietary needs of space crews. But they had to, “contribute significantly to, and be integrated into a comprehensive food system.”
In plain English, the space agencies were looking for reliable, self-sustaining, zero-gravity systems for growing fresh food in space.
The winners…
Ecoation Innovative Solutions of Vancouver, BC has won the Deep Space Food Challenge with their CANGrow Modular Food Production System. The company will receive a (US)$380,000 grant as the grand prize winner.
What they built
Ecoation’s flagship technology for the earthbound masses is described as, “the most comprehensive AI-Driven yield and IPM forecasting solution in the hands of modern greenhouse growers today.” The system is based on a forecasting system that ensures larger and more-consistent crop yields. Key elements of that technology formed the basis of the CANGrow ‘space garden’ module.
The CANGrow unit is described as about the same size as an old-fashioned stand-up wardrobe cupboard. In that ultra-compact space, the device houses all the machinery and control functions it needs to produce 700 kg / 1,540 lb. of fresh food annually. So far, CANGrow has been proven to produce a wide variety of foods including dwarf tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, and the novel Maia Farms CanPro mycoprotein ingredient derived from mushrooms.
Meeting future needs – home and away
“The CANGrow system doesn’t just grow plants, it is designed specifically to sustainably provide a diet that can meet the full nutritional needs of four individuals,” the official news release states. That alone goes well above and beyond the requirements set for the Challenge.
“At the heart of CANGrow are five specially designed grow chambers. Four are dedicated to plant growth, featuring everything from adjustable LED lights for perfect photosynthesis to a UV-treated hydroponic system for efficient watering. The fifth chamber is where Maia Farms’ protein-rich mycelium grows, thanks to a sophisticated bioreactor system.”
My take
Bravo, Ecoation! Bravo Canada!
The CANGrow system and the legendary Canadarm space manipulator stand as fitting ‘bookends’ to my little country’s huge contribution (thus far!) to the global space exploration effort. Canada has been involved since before Jack Kennedy even proposed the Apollo Moon Program. And we’re going to continue to be an integral part of the international push to explore the ‘Final Frontier’.
Perhaps more importantly… The CANGrow system is an exciting, optimistic glimpse of what’s possible over the next few decades, as we all prepare for a world relying on plant-based foods. And struggle to maintain sustainable food production in the face of global warming.
I already know exactly where I’ll install my ‘home’ version of the CANGrow wardrobe…
~ Maggie J.