Unique idea wins NASA space food contest

3D printed steaks, insect proteins, mushrooms are some of the unique ideas among the winners of NASA's space food competition.

NASA has selected 18 companies to continue developing space food that future astronauts will use on long-term missions, like journeys to Mars or other planets. .

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and fresh fruit during a rare transport to the International Space Station ISS.

Grace Douglas, NASA's lead scientist for advanced food technology at Johnson Space Center in Houston, said NASA needed new ideas about food that made the best use of limited resources and created as little waste as possible.

NASA's space food ideas contest received many unique solutions for ensuring the health of future astronauts. NASA says more than 10 organizations will receive $25,000 to continue developing space food solutions.

Ralph Fritsche, NASA's senior project manager for space crop production, said NASA has tried to focus on many solutions, creating foods that are palatable to astronauts, but they believe Innovation requires new approaches.

He said the contest received about 100 unique ideas and will be judged by a jury of 10 experienced staff with expertise in food production from NASA.

3D-printed steak is considered as food for astronauts on future journeys.

One of the most impressive ideas is a 3D printed steak from the California-based company. The company successfully 3D printed a rib steak in February 2021. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former astronaut Karen Nyberg each participated in the test of the dish.

The idea of ​​combining fungi, algae and plants by Cosmic Eats, a startup in Cary, NC, was also appreciated.

There are also some other winning ideas including: Astra Gastronomy, San Francisco with a crunchy snack mixed with nuts and other ingredients; Space Bread, of Hawthorne, Florida, has developed a plastic bag that allows astronauts to mix, store, and bake bread ingredients in space; Deep Space Entomoculture, of Somerville, Mass. makes products containing proteins and fats from insect cells; Hefvin of Bethesda, Maryland will produce berries by culturing fruit cells in a nutrient-rich medium.