Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Scientists have proposed a novel method to ensure astronauts’ food safety on long-duration deep space missions, suggesting that asteroids could be used as a source of nutrition, as outlined in a study published in the International Journal of Astrobiology.
While astronauts won’t be consuming rocks directly, the idea is to extract carbon from asteroids and convert it into edible food. This approach addresses the limitations of carrying dried food for long journeys and the current challenges with space farming.
Joshua Pearce, an engineering professor from Western University in Ontario, explained to *The New York Times* that asteroids could interact with microbes in ways similar to plastics, opening the door to potential food production.
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The study was inspired by a U.S. Department of Defense project that converts plastic waste into food. Through a process called pyrolysis, plastic is broken down into oil, which can then be fed to bacteria to produce a nutritious biomass.
Separate research by Annemiek Waajen from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam showed that microbes could thrive on meteorite material, indicating the possibility of using asteroid carbon to sustain life.
Dr. Pearce’s team focused on the asteroid Bennu and estimated that its carbon content could sustain astronauts for up to 600 years if efficiently processed by microbes.
Despite the promising concept, a significant hurdle remains—extensive toxicity testing is required to ensure that the microbial biomass created from asteroids is safe for astronauts to consume.
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While the idea is innovative, Dr. Waajen, who was not involved in the main study, emphasized that much more research is needed before it can be implemented in space missions.