The Future of Space Food
MIT Media Lab’s Space Exploration Initiative focuses on all kinds of research and preparation for “the day when humanity becomes a space-native civilization, as comfortable in the cosmos as we have been on Earth.” The team (made up of 50+ graduate students, staff, scientists, designers, and engineers) works on countless aspects of space travel, but hones in on two central topics: boredom and food. These entities will be inextricably linked on a nine-month trip to Mars. Industrial designer Maggie Coblentz, who leads gastronomic research, tells Nicola Twilley for Wired, “Humanity’s off-world survival will depend on a diet that can nourish not only travelers’ bodies but their minds and souls.” From changes in the human digestive system in space, to preparation, food packaging, size, weight, the dangers of weightlessness (like choking) and more, the team does remarkable work exploring options—which may include Pop Rocks and algae-based “caviar.” Read the full article at Wired.
Via wired.com link opens in a new window
