We have all heard about scientists exploring the possibility of living on Mars and the Moon, but have you ever wondered how people will get food there. Scientists have already grown plants in space. So, the vegetarians are sorted and what about those who like meat?
The European Space Agency (ESA) is now exploring the possibility to grow meat in space so that astronauts can be fed properly on long-duration missions. With this step, the agency is hoping to improve the sustainability of growing meat on Earth too.
The first person to propose the idea of feeding cultured meat to astronauts – Paolo Corradi says, “If we want to succeed in long-term human exploration far from Earth, we need to rethink our current approach to astronaut nutrition and provide the means to efficiently produce food on board, possibly integrated within the regenerative life support system”.
The research process involves analysing and comparing nutritional value and potential benefits of cultured meat products with those of protein alternatives. For successfully completing this goal, the teams will set requirements for growing meat in space.
According to Corradi, the ESA “will compare the system with other potential onboard systems for protein food production, and with the current approach which involves food supplies being transported from Earth. They will also assess the potential commercial interest for a promotional demonstrator for both space and ground applications”.
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It is important to note that meat production has various environmental repercussions. To resolve this issue, the ESA said, “With the global population growing and the demand for meat increasing, conventional meat production will become more and more unsustainable. Cultured meat could make conventional meat a thing of the past, but more research into the production technology is needed.”
