Feeding astronauts is astronomically expensive, like seriously expensive! I mean, it costs a whopping £20,000 a day to feed just one human in space. And that cost is only going to go up the further we venture into the great unknown. The biggest chunk of that hefty price tag comes from transportation – every little gram added to a rocket means more fuel burned and less room for the stuff that actually makes money, like cargo and supplies.
Lab-grown food in space? Sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, right? Well, it’s actually happening! A team of scientists recently sent a mini-laboratory into orbit to see if they could grow food in space for the first time. Dr. Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro from Imperial College, London, one of the brains behind the operation, said, “This is our first step towards… a future where we can produce food, materials, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and fuels needed for space exploration directly where and when it is needed.” Not really sure why this matters, but hey, it’s pretty cool, right?
But wait, there’s more! Another option for feeding astronauts is through traditional horticulture with a twist. On the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts have a small experimental garden called Veggie. They grow lettuce, cabbage, kale, and even flowers in this tiny garden. It’s like having a little piece of Earth in space. And get this – they use these little “pillows” filled with clay compost and fertiliser to help distribute water, nutrients, and air around the roots. Who knew gardening in space could be so interesting? Or maybe it’s just me, but it’s fascinating stuff!
