The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is working with NASA on the Deep Space Food Challenge, a competition to develop new technological ways of producing food for future space missions while expanding opportunities for food production on Earth.
About the challenge
Ensuring that astronauts have nutritious food is a critical part of all human space exploration missions, especially future missions to the Moon and Mars. Crews will likely have to produce food in space to meet their nutritional needs. Producing food in extreme or hostile environments like space is a challenge that many of Canada’s northern communities also face.
The Deep Space Food Challenge seeks to create novel food production technologies that require minimal inputs (materials, energy, water, etc.) and maximize safe, nutritious, and palatable food.
These innovations will not only be used for long-duration space missions, but will also have the potential to benefit people on Earth, particularly in remote and harsh environments, such as Canada’s North.
Who can participate?
You can enter the Deep Space Food Challenge if you are:
- A business or other for-profit organization in Canada
- A not-for-profit organization in Canada
- An Indigenous organization or group located in Canada
- A post-secondary institution located in Canada
- An individual or a group of individuals based in Canada
Interested parties in the U.S. and other countries may refer to the Deep Space Food Challenge website for more information on how to enter the challenge.
How to participate
The Deep Space Food Challenge is calling all Canadian innovators to submit a design concept for their food production technology by .
Participating organizations
The CSA and the Privy Council Office’s Impact Canada Initiative are working with NASA on the Deep Space Food Challenge.
