Fresh Veggies in Zero Gravity: This Lab’s cubes will grow plants and insects in space for astronauts
NASA is seeking innovative solutions for nourishing astronauts on long-duration space missions, particularly those headed to Mars. The agency's Deep Space Food Challenge, initiated in 2021, prompted teams globally to create sustainable food systems for these missions. In the mission, Interstellar Lab emerged as the winner, receiving a $750,000 prize in August for its project, NuCLEUS (NUtritional Closed-Loop Eco-Unit System).
The Challenge of Space Nutrition
Going to space presents unique challenges, especially regarding access to fresh and nutritious food. As prepackaged food degrades in nutritional value after seven to eight months in space, astronauts risk deficiencies in vital nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, and B12. Barbara Belvisi, founder and CEO of Interstellar Lab, stated, “Due to solar radiation, the nutritional value of prepackaged food starts to degrade.”
The NuCLEUS Solution
NuCLEUS is a modular system of cubes resembling a tic-tac-toe board, primarily designed to grow vegetable plants, microgreens, mushrooms, and insects. Interstellar Lab has tested a variety of crops, including Daikon radish and broccoli, and plans to expand its offerings. While these foods are fresh and edible, they are intended to supplement astronauts’ diets rather than solely cater to their tastes.
In the final phase of NASA's competition, NuCLEUS produced approximately 22 pounds of plants and insects over 1.5 months. However, a single crew member on a Mars mission would require around 661 pounds of food annually, which
