If You Can Figure Out How to Feed Astronauts, There's $500,000 Available for You

I’m pretty sure that about 95% of the population could use an extra $500,000, right?

The only catch is that you have to be smart enough to figure out a solution to a problem that the literal smartest people on the planet – those who work at NASA – have been poking without success for quite a while.

Remember how, in the book/movie The Martian, the main character had all of those pre-packaged meals, and when they ran out, he basically had to invent a way to grow his own food?

Image Credit: 20th Century Fox

It turns out astronauts really just do eat out of packages up there, according to astronaut Christina Koch, who had to adjust her diet prior to venturing into space for 328 days.

As NASA looks to the future and longer, crewed missions to Mars (and beyond), they hope to provide better and more sustainable options for their astronauts going forward.

Image Credit: iStock

They’re calling it their “Deep Space Food Challenge,” and are offering a $500,000 purse for anyone who can come up with a clever idea for growing/keeping food in space before July 30.

Fresh fruit and vegetables would be a huge boost to the astronaut’s mental health, too, as they “provide profound psychological benefits” and have, until now, been virtually impossible to supply on longer missions.

Image Credit: YouTube

NASA also hopes that if someone comes up with an idea that could allow them to grow and harvest healthy food on a spaceship, there’s a chance it could be applied to help mitigate food deserts back on Earth, as well.

“Food insecurity is a significant chronic problem on Earth in urban, rural, and harsh environments and communities.

Disasters can also disrupt supply chains, on which all people depend, and further aggravate food shortages.”

The September 2020 research paper should provide you with a jumping off point, since it outlines a few different techniques that NASA has used to grow and harvest food in space in the past; NASA is especially interested in making it possible for astronauts to grow “actively producing yeast” in space, which would provide nutrients like beta carotene and zeaxanthin – typically found in vegetables.

Researchers have also managed to grow red romaine lettuce on a spacecraft in the past, and they’re looking forward to small fruits like tomatoes and peppers, says Christina Khodadad, who worked on the project.

“As we go farther and stay in space longer, additional types of crops might be added, and if we bring cooking capabilities, crops like sweet potato and potato are excellent candidates to supplement the diet.”

You’re welcome to come up with your own ideas, as well, if inspiration strikes. You have to register by May 28th of this year and submit your Phase 1 ideas by July 30th. 20 of NASA’s favorites will win $25,000 each, and then proceed into Phase 2.