Feeding man in space
Semi-solid, dehydrated, rehydratable, thermally stabilized wet, and intermediate moisture food development for space flights
Hollender, H. A.↗
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New Crop Selection
For extended space flight, reliable food supplies are a necessity. Most of the food products consumed by astronauts today are stored for flight via freeze drying. Fresh food is needed to supplement known national deficiencies in the stored food diet (Cooper et al.). This is so because stored foods can lose nutritional value. Fresh food is the answer to the nutritional demands of space flight. Kennedy Space Center's Utilization and Life Sciences Office (UB-A), under the Exploration Research and Technology Program (UB), conducts research on plant growth and development under International Space Station (ISS) conditions. UB-A analyzes the growth responses of leafy greens in microgravity and through the manipulation of environmental conditions (CO2 levels, light intensity, relative humidity, and water delivery). By manipulating growing conditions researchers can optimize food production using minimal/restricted resources. The New Crop Selection experiments are testing the suitability of leafy crops to ISS conditions. Results from this study showed that 'Dragoon' Lettuce and 'Red Russian' Kale have the largest fresh mass.
Bhuiyan, Ruqayah H.↗
Selection of human consumables for future space missions
Consumables for human spaceflight include oxygen, water, food and food packaging, personal hygiene items, and clothing. This paper deals with the requirements for food and water, and their impact on waste product generation. Just as urbanization of society has been made possible by improved food processing and packaging, manned spaceflight has benefitted from this technology. The downside of this technology is increased food package waste product. Since consumables make up a major portion of the vehicle onboard stowage and generate most of the waste products, selection of consumables is a very critical process. Food and package waste comprise the majority of the trash generated on the current shuttle orbiter missions. Plans for future missions must include accurate assessment of the waste products to be generated, and the methods for processing and disposing of these wastes.
Food Packaging↗
Bioastronautics: optimizing human performance through research and medical innovations
A strategic use of resources is essential to achieving long-duration space travel and understanding the human physiological changes in space, including the roles of food and nutrition in space. To effectively address the challenges of space flight, the Bioastronautics Initiative, undertaken in 2001, expands extramural collaboration and leverages unique capabilities of the scientific community and the federal government, all the while applying this integrated knowledge to Earth-based problems. Integral to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's missions in space is the reduction of risk of medical complications, particularly during missions of long duration. Cumulative medical experience and research provide the ability to develop evidence-based medicine for prevention, countermeasures, and treatment modalities for space flight. The early approach applied terrestrial clinical judgment to predict medical problems in space. Space medicine has evolved to an evidence-based approach with the use of biomedical data gathered and lessons learned from previous space flight missions to systematically aid in decision making. This approach led, for example, to the determination of preliminary nutritional requirements for space flight, and it aids in the development of nutrition itself as a countermeasure to support nutritional mitigation of adaptation to space.
Nutritional Requirements↗
Ecological Support of Larval Fish During Multigenerational Studies on Space Station
Live, microscopic food is required by larval Zebrafish, Danio rerio, which are candidates for the Aquatic Habitat of the Space Station Biological Research Project (SSBRP). Zebrafish have proven to be convenient research animals, and their embryology and genetics are extensively documented. Their ability to mature at 3 months of age, and the transparent eggs which hatches in 2 days, are attractive attributes for space research. Among the goals of the SSBRP Aquatic Habitat is the ability to study three generations, with the objective of maintaining adults, their offspring, and the maintaining of these offspring through maturity and spawning. For Zebrafish, it is anticipated that sexually mature fish (PI) would be delivered to Space Station and spawned in space. The challenge would be it to provide appropriate microscopic foods for the offspring (FI), and 3 months later for the next generation (F2); if these were raised to maturity and bred, live foods would be required at approximately 6 months. In laboratories where Zebrafish are traditionally reared, the larval foods are the protozoan Parameciwn micromultinucleatwn and later brine shrimp Artemia nauplii. Under normal laboratory conditions, the rearing of these foods are relatively easy, although time consuming because of the food organisms must be separated from their rearing medium which is discarded. A freshwater food chain that would ensur-e healthy on- orbit research animals is needed. ne food chain should (a) be reared in conditions that are compatible with the larval fish (water chemistry, pH, temperature and light), (b) assist in maintaining water quality (by removing ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, carbon dioxide, and bacteria) and (c) be convenient for the space crew (minimize handling and waste production).
Taub, Frieda B.↗
Space Station galley design
An Advanced Food Hardware System galley for the initial operating capability (IOC) Space Station is discussed. Space Station will employ food hardware items that have never been flown in space, such as a dishwasher, microwave oven, blender/mixer, bulk food and beverage dispensers, automated food inventory management, a trash compactor, and an advanced technology refrigerator/freezer. These new technologies and designs are described and the trades, design, development, and testing associated with each are summarized.
Trabanino, Rudy↗
Expedition 4 Crew Training Clip
This video shows clips of the Expedition 4 crewmembers, Commander Yuri Onufrienko and Flight Engineers Carl Walz and Daniel Bursch, during various parts of their training, including T-38 operations at Ellington, training in the virtual reality laboratory, Hydrolab training in Russia, International Space Station (ISS) food selection, and ISS Hab equipping and procedures in the Space Station Mockup and Test/Training Facility (SSMTF).
Source record↗
Mass Reduction: The Weighty Challenge for Exploration Space Flight
Meeting nutritional and acceptability requirements is critical for the food system for an exploration class space mission. However, this must be achieved within the constraints of available resources such as water, crew time, stowage volume, launch mass and power availability. Due to resource constraints, exploration class missions are not expected to have refrigerators or freezers for food storage, and current per person food mass must be reduced to improve mission feasibility. The Packaged Food Mass Reduction Trade Study (Stoklosa, 2009) concluded that the mass of the current space food system can be effectively reduced by decreasing water content of certain foods and offering nutrient dense substitutes, such as meal replacement bars and beverages. Target nutrient ranges were established based on the nutritional content of the current breakfast and lunch meals in the ISS standard menu. A market survey of available commercial products produced no viable options for meal replacement bar or beverage products. New prototypes for both categories were formulated to meet target nutrient ranges. Samples of prototype products were packaged in high barrier packaging currently used for ISS and underwent an accelerated shelf life study at 31 degC and 41 degC (50% RH) for 24 weeks. Samples were assessed at the following time points: Initial, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. Testing at each time point included the following: color, texture, water activity, acceptability, and hexanal analysis (for food bars only). Proof of concept prototypes demonstrated that meal replacement food bars and beverages can deliver a comparable macronutrient profile while reducing the overall mass when compared to the ISS Standard Menu. Future work suggestions for meal replacement bars: Reformulation to include ingredients that reduce hardness and reduce browning to increase shelf life. Micronutrient analysis and potential fortification. Sensory evaluation studies including satiety tests and menu fatigue. Water Intake Analysis: The water in thermostabilized foods is considered as part of a crewmember's daily water intake. Extensive meal replacement would require further analyses to determine if additional water provisioning would be required per crewmember negating some of the mass savings.
Kloeris, Vickie L.↗
NASA's life sciences program
NASA space missions from the Mercury through the Shuttle program have provided successively more data on the ability of humans to function in space for progressively longer periods of time. The Skylab program encouraged cooperation between medical and engineering personnel in the design of space suits, diet, food preparation, and cleanliness procedures and equipment, and the man-machine interface. Research is now concentrated on supporting man in space, evaluating the effects of the microgravity environment on humans, and modeling encounters with extraterrestrial life and the effects of human activities on terrestrial biota. Current levels of understanding of the physiological causes of human health problems produced by long-duration spaceflight are summarized. Experiments planned for the Shuttle, Spacelab, and the Space Station are outlined, noting the long-term goal of configuring the Space Station so that only food and hydrazine are needed to complete the life support system cycle.
Soffen, Gerald A.↗
Space Plants for Astronaut Consumption
Growing plants in space will be an essential part of sustaining astronauts during long-range missions. During the summer of 2017, three female NASA interns, have been engaged in research relevant to food production in space, and will present their projects to an all female program known as Girls in STEM camp. Ayla Grandpre, a senior from Rocky Mountain College, has performed data mining and analysis of crop growth results gathered through Fairchild Botanical Gardens program, Growing Beyond Earth. Ninety plants were downselected to three for testing in controlled environment chambers at KSC. Ayla has also managed an experiment testing a modified hydroponics known as PONDS, to grow mizuna mustard greens and red robin cherry tomatoes. Emma Boehm, a senior from the University of Minnesota, has investigated methods to sterilize seeds and analyzed the most common microbial communities on seed surfaces. She has tested a bleach fuming method and an ethanol treatment. Emma has also tested Tokyo bekana Chinese cabbage seeds from four commercial seed vendors to identity differences in germination and growth variability. Lastly, Payton Barnwell, a junior from Florida Polytechnic University has shown that light recipes provided by LEDs can alter the growth and nutrition of 'Outredgeous' lettuce, Chinese cabbage, and Mizuna. The results of her light quality experiments will provide light recipe recommendations for space crops that grown in the Advanced Plant Habitat currently aboard the International Space Station.
VEGGIE↗
Commercial Seed Selection and Effectiveness of Sanitization Methods in Preparation for Plant Growth Experiments on the International Space Station
A closed-loop food production system will be important to gain autonomy on long duration space missions. Crop growth experiments in the Veggie plant chamber aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are helping to identify methods and limitations of food production in space. Prior to flight, seeds are surface sterilized to reduce environmental and crew contamination risks.
crop selection↗
Food Quality and Phytoplankton Community Composition in San Francisco Bay using Imaging Spectroscopy Data from the California HyspIRI Airborne Campaign
The San Francisco Bay (SFB) is the largest estuary on the west coast of the United States. It is an important transition zone between marine, freshwater, and inland terrestrial watersheds. The SFB is an important region for the cycling of nutrients and pollutants and it supports nurseries of ecologically and commercially important fisheries, including some threatened species. Phytoplankton community structure influences food web dynamics, and the taxonomy of the phytoplankton may be more important in determining primary food quality than environmental factors. As such, estimating food quality from phytoplankton community composition can be a robust tool to understand trophic transfer of energy. Recent work explores phytoplankton food quality in SFB through the use of microscopy and phytoplankton chemotaxonomy to evaluate how changes in phytoplankton composition may have influenced the recent trophic collapse of pelagic fishes in the northern part of the SFB. The objective of this study is to determine if the approach can also be applied to imaging spectroscopy data in order to quantify phytoplankton food quality from space. Imaging spectroscopy data of SFB from the Airborne VisibleInfrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) was collected during the Hyperspectral Infrared (HyspIRI) Airborne Campaign in California (2013 2015) and used in this study. Estimates of ocean chlorophyll and phytoplankton community structure were determined using standard ocean chlorophyll algorithms and the PHYtoplankton Detection with Optics (PHYDOTax) algorithms. These were validated using in situ observations of phytoplankton composition using microscopic cell counts and phytoplankton chemotaxonomy from the US Geological Surveys ship surveys of the SFB. The findings from this study may inform the use of future high spectral resolution satellite sensors with the spatial resolution appropriate for coastal systems (e.g., HyspIRI) to assess food quality from space.
HyspIRI↗
PowerCells Payload on EuCROPIS - Measuring Synthetic Biology in Space
NASA’s PowerCell payload on the DLR (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt, i.e. German Aerospace Center) Eu:CROPIS satellite will compare the effect of multiple simulated gravity regimes on basic processes required for synthetic biology in space including growth, protein production, and genetic transformation of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. In addition, it will pioneer the use of a cyanobacterially-produced feedstock for microbial growth in space, a concept we call “PowerCell.” The PowerCell experiment system will be integrated using the Spaceflight Secondary Payload System with the German Space Agency's (DLR's) Euglena and Combined Regenerative Organic-food Production In Space (Eu:CROPIS) satellite, to be launched during the summer of 2017. In order to simulate the gravitational gradient of different celestial bodies, the Eu:CROPIS satellite will establish artificial microgravity, lunar, and Martian gravity levels prior to conducting each set of biological experiments, with experimental results compared to ground controls. Experiments will be carried out in microfluidics cards with experimental progress measured through absorbance as detected by the LED-based optical system. Here we describe the ground studies that led to these experiments, along with a description of the flight hardware and its performance. The results of this mission will provide foundational data for the use and production of genetically engineered organisms for extraterrestrial missions.
PowerCell experiment system↗
Utilization of potatoes for life support systems in space. I - Cultivar-photoperiod interactions
The productive potential of four potato varieties considered as a food source for space stations and/or lunar colonies was assessed for plants grown for 15 weeks in walk-in rooms at 20 C under 12-, 16-, or 20-hr exposures to 400-micromol/sq m per sec photosynthetic photon flux. It was found that Norland potatoes yielded the greatest tuber fresh weight, producing 2.3, 2.4, and 2.9 kg/plant under 12-, 16, and 20-hr, respectively. The respective yields for the other three varieties were: Superior, 1.9, 1.5, and 1.8 kg/plant; Norchip, 1.8, 1.4, and 2.0 kg/plant; and Kennebec, 2.3, 0.2, and 0.8 kg/plant.
Wheeler, Raymond M.↗
The Context for Food Service and Nutrition in the Space Station
Space is part of humanity's continuing evolution and an integral part of man's capabilities to fashion a better future for this and succeeding generations. There is no turning back; space is the arena where U.S. industry has the opportunity to achieve a competitive edge and restore the vitality of industrial innovation. As in any emerging field with bright promise, skeptics can point to major obstacles to space operations, including the high cost of space transportation and space activities, the risks of new ventures and the timing of entry into the space market. Commercial activities in space represent diverse markets where international competitors will be motivated by economic, technical and political considerations. Although the technical details, costs and benefits of these activities can only be conceived in broad outline, it is time to take a constructive view of the attainable economic returns from space endeavors. President Reagan directed NASA to develop a permanently manned Space Station within a decade to demonstrate U.S. leadership in space and to stimulate commercial exploitation of space.(1) " A Space Station," declared Dr. James M. Beggs, NASA Administrator, "provides a logical stepping stone to the exploration and exploitation of space."(2)
Peter E. Glaser↗
Science Breakthroughs 2030. Final report
Agriculture is a fundamental societal activity, characterized by many different landscapes, crops, markets, and participants. Food, agricultural, and biofuels products are central to the daily life of all citizens, though most do not recognize the fragility of the environment that brings forth this abundance. As is noted in the 2012 report from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Agricultural Preparedness and the United States Agricultural Research Enterprise (PCAST, 2012) the food and agricultural system faces constant challenges in: Managing new pests, pathogens, and invasive plants. Increasing the efficiency of water use. Growing food in a changing climate. Reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. Managing the production of bioenergy. Producing safe and nutritious food. Assisting with global food security and maintaining abundant yields. Science Breakthroughs 2030 was organized to identify the most compelling research directions in food and agriculture, in particular those empowered by the application of insights and tools from disciplines of science and engineering not typically associated with food and agricultural research. A committee appointed by the Chairman of the National Research Council explored ideas for research directions with input from the scientific community, with the objective of producing a report describing ambitious and achievable scientific pathways to address major problems and create new opportunities in food and agriculture. Following numerous meetings, a jamboree, and town hall, the appointed committee prepared a report that has subsequently become a reference for federal agencies supporting research in the food and agricultural space. It highlights five key areas for research investment with broad application across food and agriculture: integrated systems research; sensor development; data mining and information sciences, genomics; and the microbiome.
09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
Eating in space--from an astronaut's perspective
Food systems and meal components are constantly under review and development at the National Aerospace and Space Administration. The goal of this work is to generate a diet that meets the nutrient requirements of astronauts and satiates them. The constraints involved in shorter- and longer-term missions are described. The insight provided by observations of astronauts from the Skylab and Shuttle eras will allow researchers to consider the fact that, for any nutritional regimen to work, it must consider the limitations and taste buds of the individuals involved. Otherwise, the best diet design generated by their work may never be consumed.
Review, Tutorial↗
Space shuttle/food system study. Volume 2, Appendix G: Ground support system analysis. Appendix H: Galley functional details analysis
The capabilities for preflight feeding of flight personnel and the supply and control of the space shuttle flight food system were investigated to determine ground support requirements; and the functional details of an onboard food system galley are shown in photographic mockups. The elements which were identified as necessary to the efficient accomplishment of ground support functions include the following: (1) administration; (2) dietetics; (3) analytical laboratories; (4) flight food warehouse; (5) stowage module assembly area; (6) launch site module storage area; (7) alert crew restaurant and disperse crew galleys; (8) ground food warehouse; (9) manufacturing facilities; (10) transport; and (11) computer support. Each element is discussed according to the design criteria of minimum cost, maximum flexibility, reliability, and efficiency consistent with space shuttle requirements. The galley mockup overview illustrates the initial operation configuration, food stowage locations, meal assembly and serving trays, meal preparation configuration, serving, trash management, and the logistics of handling and cleanup equipment.
Source record↗