To find ways to produce food in outer space, various national space organizations, including NASA, JAXA, and ESA, are working with food businesses. Interestingly, plastic waste can be processed into a food source in outer space.
A panel of experts at the Consumer's Electronic Show (CES) 2023 discussed solutions experts are developing to provide humans with food during spaceflight, even if we live on Mars or the Moon.
Turning plastic into food that can be consumed is one solution that stands out and attracts attention. This solution was developed by a company called Beehex.
Plastic steaks
Beehex develops space food solutions using 3D printing technology. The company was founded by Anja Contractor, a NASA-affiliated entrepreneur and engineer. The idea stems from figuring out how to 3D print food to astronauts in microgravity. Here, crew time is very limited and cooking is certainly not an option.
"Plastic waste is collected, then crushed. Ultimately, this waste will be transferred to a bioreactor, which contains very specific engineered bacteria," said a spokesperson for Beehex, quoted from Interesting Engineering.
These engineered bacteria will eat the plastic and turn it into biomass. Furthermore, biomass can be used to produce various textures and shapes.
"So if you want to make steak from plastic, this whole mechanism will be able to produce steak from plastic, chicken breast and other foods," explained Anja.
Address food insecurity on Earth
Producing food using a 3D printer, according to Beehex, can also help overcome food insecurity on Earth.
Anja revealed that the project is being funded by The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), one of the biggest government-backed forces behind innovation in the US.
"The idea is to place this type of container first in food disaster relief operations such as those associated with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), or locations where there are refugee camps," he said.
"Especially for the US Army or Marine Corps, that's what we're targeting, because that's the most real plan," he added.
"You can sell these machines to FEMA, and various governments around the world, including organizations like the United Nations. So that's a first step," he said.
Later, engine subcomponents will be manufactured to suit spacecraft and low Earth orbit (LEO) space stations such as the International Space Station (ISS) and Orbital Reef.
"The payload must be very light. We estimate this project will start around 2026 to 2027. And the first application will be based on the Moon," he said.