Tuesday, 28 February 2023
An international team of scientists have created a salad that contains ingredients that could be grown on space crafts and provide optimum nutrition for astronauts heading into deep space.
The research is part of programme being run by the University of Nottingham and University of Adelaide focusing on Astropharmacy, farming and food research. The researchers aim to design space farming systems and components for long-term space missions to meet the nutritional and psychological demands of astronauts.
Using daily dietary requirements for astronauts suggested in a NASA study, the research team created a computational model to predict the best combination of plants for a ‘space salad’.
The computer-based plant selection also needed to meet criteria of being grown in situ on the space crafts, restrict the choice to less than ten different plants (simplicity), be suitable for space farming systems (e.g. hydroponics), need lowest fertiliser uptake (payload), and require lowest planting area (compactness). The effect of food on the mood of the astronauts was also important to the project with colour, taste, texture, freshness and flavour also considered.
A ‘Space Salad’ was created to meet these needs that contained carefully measured quantities of: Soybean, Poppy, Barley, Kale, Peanuts, Sweet Potato and Sunflower Seeds.
Shu Liang led the research whilst she was a PhD studentat the University of Nottingham’s School of Biosciences, she said: “Food is such an integral part of staying healthy and happy and there are many factors that contribute to this. As well as the nutritional values and ability to grow the plants in space we also looked at other important aspects of a space diet to promote astronaut well-being including colour, taste and eating together.”
We have simulated a mix of 6-8 crops that deliver all the required nutrients to an astronaut, which is different to what people need on earth. While there are dozens of crops that can fulfill the nutrient demand, we needed to find those that could pack a punch and deliver the calories needed in smaller portions that could be grown in a small space.
A food psychology test “The Harmonic Psychology of a Space Salad” was conducted by Karolina Rivera-Osorio, a planetary research graduate from the City College of New York. Four volunteers tasted the space salad and one concluded “wouldn’t mind eating this all week as an astronaut.”
The next stage of the research will be using digital twin modelling to design the growth chambers and systems that can grow the crops.
Story credits
Main image courtesy of the University of Adelaide
More information is available Jane Icke, Media Relations Manager for the Faculty of Science on Jane.Icke@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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