NASA, the U.S. Space Administration, is planning for long-duration space missions to Mars or to settle the Moon. And they ‘re partnering with the Canadian Space Agency to draw from the minds of foodies everywhere new and creative technologies to feed a crew of 4 for up to 3 years…
VR Glasses may be the most important component in
any future long-term space flight food program…
Simple language, high bar
NASA and the CSA have set the challenge simply, but the bar remains high:
“Our focus is on providing future space explorers and people on Earth nutritious foods they will enjoy.
The Deep Space Food Challenge will 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.”
A footnote adds:
“NASA has knowledge and capabilities in this area, but we know that technologies and ideas exist. “Raising awareness will help us reach people in a variety of disciplines that may hold the key to developing these new technologies.”
There are prizes!
If you are an American citizen, you can qualify for cash prizes of up to (US)$500K. Or, the project may opt to award as many as 25 teams lesser prizes of up to $25k each. For reasons not adequately explained (not adequately for me, anyway), non-Americans can only qualify for ‘bragging rights’. I’d have thought that, with the CSA involved, there would at least be a way for Canadian citizens to qualify for cash prizes.
Like all contests these days, for various legal reasons, contestants must be 18 or older to qualify.
Some social media responses…
Some initial idea contributors obviously know a lot about the targeted technology…
- The World has gone Nuts suggested: “Determine the correct electrode placement to mimic response from the taste buds and olfactory (smell) cells, and have them wear a set of VR glasses when eating. You could serve them bland monotonous yet nutritious garbage, and they’d think they were eating a huge variety of gourmet foods.”
- Mariokart: “The best solution in addition to freeze dried, aeroponics, and pre-packaged foods, is using a 3D print process with a nutrient solution that solidifies at room temperature. Just like hydroponics not using soil, we can create food in space without growing. The solution could be packaged as a powder, mixed in space and printed out as an edible substance.”
- Roborram got practical: “Military MREs have been serving this function for decades, and they’re better today than they used to be.”
Maybe, but the comments from the frontline Grunts who have to eat them seem no better than they used to be. - From AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: Tang, that’s what astronauts used to drink. Bring back that sugary goodness.” A response to that response notes: “Tang came back with ‘pulp’. It’s now called Metamucil.”
- ArmedForLiberty admits: “I was going to suggest a really long straw, but straws have been outlawed by the left.
- ObeseIllegitimo792 went directly to Science Fiction for the answer: “Soylent Green, made from Dems. Solves two problems. Do I get double the prize money?”
- My fave was from
Fissionchips906 adds: “…and a Milky Way.”
: “Moon Pies and Mars Bars. I take checks.”
And the best overall answer, which had the distinction of being most satisfying for users and easiest to implement, though hardest to get delivered:
- From Noonan 524: “Get the food replicator shown in the Star Trek shows.”
Only trouble there is, how do I get one delivered here from the 23rd Century?
Anyway:
Those interested have from now until May 28 to register their intent to enter. Visit the official website for details.