Nasa has awarded a $125,000 grant to a Texas-based company to develop a 3D printer capable of creating nutritious and flavourful food for astronauts on long-duration space missions, such as a journey to Mars. The technology, proposed by Systems and Materials Research Corporation (SMRC), aims to replace the current pre-packaged astronaut meals, which are criticised for lacking flavour and nutritional adequacy over extended periods.
The concept, presented at the Humans 2 Mars summit in Washington, builds on an earlier experiment where engineer Anjan Contractor used a 3D printer to make chocolate for his wife. The printer would use powdered nutrients stored in cartridges, mixing them with water and oil before heating and spraying layers onto a heated base to form food. The first target is pizza, chosen for its layered structure and nutritional variety.
Nasa spokesman David Steitz noted that current space food is not suitable for a five-year Mars mission due to degradation of micronutrients and limited variety. The 3D printer could tailor meals to individual astronauts' needs, improving health and morale. Additionally, the printer could receive personalised recipes from Earth, allowing astronauts to print treats like cookies sent by family.
Beyond space, SMRC hopes the technology could help combat world hunger by using organic ingredients such as algae or insects. The printer is still a concept, with development expected by the end of the year using the Nasa grant.
