LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – Feeding astronauts on long-duration missions is a major challenge. An innovative method of protein production could provide the solution. Solar Foods and the European Space Agency are working on a project that will enable the production of protein powder in space.
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Providing food to astronauts on long-duration missions, such as a trip to Mars, presents a significant challenge. Because there are no supermarkets on the red planet and supplies from Earth are months away, astronauts must be able to produce their own food in an inhospitable environment. A promising solution could be producing protein from the air, a project being promoted by the European Space Agency and the company Solar Foods.
Solar Foods, a company that grew out of a scientific research program, has already developed a method on Earth to make protein powder called solein. This process is based on gas fermentation, in which bacteria are grown in a bioreactor with water, air and nutrients. These bacteria are then dried and processed into a protein powder suitable for human consumption. The next step is to test the production of solein in microgravity conditions on the International Space Station.
The challenges of producing solein in space are diverse. Weightlessness significantly changes the behavior of liquids and gases, which affects the conditions in the bioreactor. Additionally, space on the space station is limited, meaning the bioreactor must be significantly smaller than the 20,000 liter reactors used on Earth. Safety measures, process monitoring and quality assurance also need to be adjusted as there are no bioprocess engineers on board to monitor the process.
Another important aspect is adapting the ingredients to the resources available in space. Recycling plays a crucial role in this. For example, the carbon dioxide from the crew’s breathing and the hydrogen produced by the electrolysis of water could be used. The use of synthetic urea instead of ammonia is also being considered to minimize potential hazards in the event of an accident. If the project is successful, Solein could provide a sustainable and space-saving solution for feeding astronauts on long-duration missions.
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