Europe Wants To Create Space Food From The Air And Urine Astronauts

Protein powder from the air and urine (photo: dock. Solar Foods)

JAKARTA When America has ambitions to reach the moon and Mars, Europe focuses on unusual projects. They want to make food from the air to the urine of astronauts.

The project, which was initiated by the European Space Agency (ESA), is based on the challenges of providing food. Space missions, particularly those very far apart, usually spend quite a long time.

Generally, missions can run for three months or even a year. Not all food can be brought and consumed in space so ESA tries to find alternatives. They want to develop powder proteins that can be produced in space.

The target is to create protein powder with minimal resources, including using the astronaut's air and urine. Compared to the food delivery system to space, this method is considered cheaper and more practical.

This new ESA project is called HOBI-WAN, abbreviation to Hydrogen Oxidizing Bacteria in Weightlessness As a Nutrient Source. This project is part of the Terrae Novae Exploration Program.

"In order for humans to carry out long-term missions on the Moon, or even on Mars, an innovative solution is needed in order to survive with limited supplies," said ESA Chief Scientist Exploration Angelique Van Ombergen, launching Space on Monday, November 10.

In the project, the solution tested was a versatile powder protein called Solein produced by Solar Foods, a Finnish food technology company. Solein is made of microbes, air, and electricity through a process called gas fermentation.

Solein can be produced with limited resources in space, but its technique needs to be adjusted. On Earth, ammonia serves as a nitrogen source for protein synthesis. However, in space, nitrogen will be supplied from urea, an organic compound found in urine.

To run this project, Solar Foods will be working with major contractor OHB System AG over the next eight months. Both will develop the technology needed to test Solein production in space conditions.