{"id":79794,"date":"2023-08-29T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/will-the-food-of-the-future-come-from-space\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T16:31:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T15:31:53","slug":"lalimentation-du-futur-viendra-t-elle-de-lespace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/lalimentation-du-futur-viendra-t-elle-de-lespace\/","title":{"rendered":"Will the Food of the Future Come from Space?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Gr\u00e9gory Navarro is an engineer at CNES (Centre national d\u2019\u00e9tudes spatiales, the French national space agency), and is responsible within Spaceship France<\/a> project for the development of space habitats and life support systems. The aim of the Spaceship network, launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2012 and extended to France in 2018, is to contribute to the research and development of some of the technologies that have been identified as key to establishing permanent bases on the Moon and then on Mars. Quentin Bisalli<\/a> asked him, for Futuribles, about the innovations being tested in the agri-food sector as part of the preparations for space travel.<\/h6>\n\n\n<\/div>\n
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How are astronauts fed today?<\/h2>\n

G.N.<\/strong>: On the International Space Station (ISS), all the food consumed is sent from Earth. The regular arrival of supplies provides an opportunity for astronauts to enjoy fresh food, but otherwise they mainly consume freeze-dried food. The Veggie programme<\/a> has carried out some experiments in growing food in space, but the food produced is mainly for scientific use.
\nHowever, what works for the ISS is not viable for longer missions, particularly lunar and Martian missions, where it is necessary to minimise the weight sent. It is therefore necessary to produce part of what is consumed: the long-term objective is to cover 50% of caloric requirements through local production.
\nTo achieve this, a number of avenues are being explored within Spaceship France and elsewhere, in partnership with research groups, companies, associations, universities, etc., to investigate how to produce, process, and preserve food in space, both during spaceflight and then on site, for future lunar and Martian missions.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n

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\n Voir aussi<\/span>\n
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\n \n \"\"<\/a>\n <\/span>\n \n Tourisme spatial : point d\u2019\u00e9tape<\/a>\n \n \n \n <\/use>\n<\/svg>\n <\/a>\n <\/span>\n
\n
11 October 2022<\/div>\n LAMBLIN V\u00e9ronique<\/a>\n
\n 6 min.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \n <\/use>\n<\/svg>\n\n Note de veille\n <\/a>\n Science et technique<\/a>\n Soci\u00e9t\u00e9<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n

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What are the main avenues being explored?<\/h2>\n

G.N.<\/strong>: For plant production, two avenues are being explored within Spaceship:
\n\u2022 Hydroponics<\/strong>, which we are working on in partnership with the start-up Orius: the idea is to produce market garden plants, roots, mushrooms, etc. in highly controlled growing chambers.
\n\u2022 Greenhouse cultivation in adverse conditions<\/strong>, which is being developed by Timac Agro, with whom CNES has recently formed a partnership. This company has developed extensive expertise in root networks and their interactions with the surrounding biotope, which allows it to optimise the inputs for cultivation with great precision. As far as cultivation in space is concerned, the idea is similar to that seen in the film The Martian:<\/em>[1]<\/sup><\/a> how is it possible to grow plants in conditions that are far from optimal? Mars only has regolith \u2014 on Earth this is what is found between the cultivable soil and the parent rock \u2014 which is not ideal for plants: regolith is acidic and rich in metal oxides, but at the same time it can provide good support for a plant\u2019s root system. The ESA and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) are working on similar projects in collaboration with Interstellar Lab.
\nThe two solutions are complementary: hydroponics produces high yields but is vulnerable to unforeseen events, such as a power cut, whereas the growth of plants in greenhouses is less efficient but produces more robust plants. The adoption of these two solutions in parallel allows the cultivation of complementary species. In this way, we can spread the risk while receiving the benefits of each species. For example, the methods developed by Timac Agro are focused on the cultivation of legumes. The cultivation of mushrooms could even lead to the production of medicinal foods, since fungi contain molecules that could be useful for keeping astronauts healthy.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n Voir aussi<\/span>\n
\n
\n \n \"\"<\/a>\n <\/span>\n \n Le D\u00e9m\u00e9ter 2022. Alimentation : les nouvelles fronti\u00e8res<\/a>\n \n \n \n <\/use>\n<\/svg>\n <\/a>\n <\/span>\n
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6 July 2022<\/div>\n DEBRUYNE St\u00e9phanie<\/a>\n
\n 3 min.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \n <\/use>\n<\/svg>\n\n Lu, vu, entendu\n <\/a>\n Environnement<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Another avenue being explored is bacterial production. Spaceship is working with the Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (a part of INSA engineering school, the National Institute of Applied Sciences) on the cultivation of certain potentially useful types of bacteria, such as Cupriavidus necator. This bacterium is capable of recycling urine and producing different compounds depending on its state of \u201cstress\u201d: in its normal state, it produces consumable proteins, but when \u201cstressed\u201d, it starts to produce bioplastics. Other highly stressed bacteria can even produce antibiotics.[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ESA\u2019s MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support Alternative) project<\/a> is attempting to reproduce in an enclosed environment the processes that occur on Earth. The aim is to use different processes to recycle all waste products (urine, faeces, CO2, etc.), while producing oxygen, spirulina, and plants that are fertilised by the outputs of the system.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n

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With a view to permanent human settlement on the Moon and then on Mars, we are also studying possible sources of animal protein. The work is at a very early stage, because as soon as you start talking about animals, it becomes a lot more complicated than for plants: you have to manage their food, their excrement, their oxygen requirements, etc. Three avenues are being explored: insects, fish, and animal proteins (including 3D-printed meat). At Spaceship we are mainly interested in fish, in partnership with the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), and in prawns, in partnership with the Spring Institute. The project faces two challenges: the weight and volume of the water, and the risk that the animals\u2019 needs will compete with those of humans.<\/p>\n

But it is not just a question of production: we also need to think about how to transform food products into edible dishes, and how to preserve them.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n Voir aussi<\/span>\n
\n
\n \n \"\"<\/a>\n <\/span>\n \n The Politics of Protein: Examining Claims about Livestock, Fish, \u2018Alternative Proteins\u2019 and Sustainability<\/a>\n \n \n \n <\/use>\n<\/svg>\n <\/a>\n <\/span>\n
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16 May 2022<\/div>\n LAISNEY C\u00e9line<\/a>\n
\n 5 min.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \n <\/use>\n<\/svg>\n\n Lu, vu, entendu\n <\/a>\n Environnement<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Will astronauts soon be able to cook in space, or print their own food?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

G.N.:<\/strong> We are not particularly working on 3D food printing, although experiments are being carried out by other actors, such as NASA. We believe that meals and, by extension, culinary activities are essential to astronauts\u2019 psychological well-being. It is the same in submarines: feed the crew food pills and you\u2019ll have a mutiny in a fortnight! But cooking in low gravity presents challenges of its own: the use of knives or deep fryers would contravene the most basic safety rules, so we need to think about the use of kitchen tools. For example, the CADMOS department (Centre for the Development of Microgravity Activities and Space Operations) at CNES has been working on a cooking robot to assist astronauts, which we have named Food Processor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are also thinking about new recipes adapted to the space environment and the food that can be produced there \u2014 recipes that provide not only essential nutrients, but also the joy of cooking and eating. To do this, we are working with the MIN (March\u00e9 d\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eat national) in Toulouse and the Chair \u201cCuisine du futur\u201d at the Fondation Paris-Saclay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, a number of experiments are being carried out on the ISS to improve food preservation while retaining all the nutrients. For Thomas Pesquet\u2019s last voyage, CADMOS developed Freshness Packaging<\/a>: sachets that can preserve fruit and vegetables for up to a month. We are also working on new freeze-drying techniques that can preserve nutrients more effectively. For example, we have a project with Neopouss to freeze-dry sprouted seeds. Finally, on a base with permanent sources of electricity, refrigeration and freezing are also possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we still know very little about the long-term effects of cosmic radiation on food preservation and, more generally, on living organisms. Initial research and experiments are under way, but we lack data because we have no access on Earth or in low-Earth orbit to the full spectrum of cosmic radiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the prospects for applying these innovations on Earth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

G.N.<\/strong>: This is part of the roadmap for Spaceship\u2019s research: to make sure that what we develop is linked to human needs and provides valuable benefits on Earth. That is why the innovations we develop with our partners are fed directly back into their own activities, so that they can be used here on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n

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We are working on constrained and dangerous environments, with limited resources. This requires truly intelligent systems: as efficient as possible, while consuming a minimum of resources. We are therefore conducting in-depth studies, in particular with Timac Agro, on plant growth, so as to reduce our inputs as far as possible (water, electricity, etc.). This approach can also help us to better address challenges on Earth: climate change, soil degradation, water shortages, etc.
\nOur work with Orius \u2014 which sells its production system outside the domain of space activities \u2014 is also fuelled by the idea of bringing cultivation closer to the place where the plant is used. This is particularly useful for pharmacology and cosmetics, which often require plants that are far away, and even rare. By recreating the plant\u2019s environment, we avoid having to go out and find them in their natural ecosystem, which reduces both damage to ecosystems and the need for long-distance journeys. At the same time, it makes it easier to prepare for unforeseen events that could disrupt the supply chain.
\nMore broadly, we also believe that our work is helping to instil new ways of thinking about food \u2014 for example, the consumption of insects.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n Voir aussi<\/span>\n
\n
\n \n \"\"<\/a>\n <\/span>\n \n Prospective du syst\u00e8me alimentaire et de son empreinte \u00e9nerg\u00e9tique et carbone<\/a>\n \n \n \n <\/use>\n<\/svg>\n <\/a>\n <\/span>\n
\n
9 January 2023<\/div>\n LAMBLIN V\u00e9ronique<\/a>\n
\n 11 min.\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \n <\/use>\n<\/svg>\n\n Lu, vu, entendu\n <\/a>\n Environnement<\/a>\n Soci\u00e9t\u00e9<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n\n

Interview by Quentin Bisalli<\/span><\/em>.
<\/em>This article has been translated from French by Sam Ferguson.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> A film directed by Ridley Scott, released in 2015 (Editor\u2019s note)<\/span>.<\/span>\u2191<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> A doctoral research project on this subject was undertaken in 2022 by Pierre Joris, under the supervision of Nathalie Gorret. See https:\/\/www.theses.fr\/s347532<\/a>.<\/span>\u2191<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gr\u00e9gory Navarro is an engineer at CNES (Centre national d\u2019\u00e9tudes spatiales, the French national space agency), and is responsible within Spaceship France project for the development of space habitats and life support systems. The aim of the Spaceship network, launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2012 and extended to France in 2018, is … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":78624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":"[]"},"categories":[3214,140],"tags":[202,210,212],"keyword":[961,962,1283,1480,1014,957],"class_list":["post-79794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview","category-newswatch","tag-environnement-en","tag-science-et-technique-en","tag-societe-en","keyword-agriculture-en","keyword-biotechnologie-en","keyword-sciences-de-la-terre-sciences-de-l-espace-en","keyword-aliments-nutrition-en","keyword-innovations-en","keyword-recherche-et-developpement-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79794"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120455,"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79794\/revisions\/120455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79794"},{"taxonomy":"keyword","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.futuribles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/keyword?post=79794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}