Can you imagine being able to “grow” food in space? An endless and sustainable source of human existence in long-term space missions… or even to colonize planets? Well, you’re not the only one. In fact, according to a new report BBC, already trying.
So far we know we can get cultured meat in vitro. This is a complex process and quite expensive at present., but it represented one of the greatest technological and scientific processes of the time. From just one pig cage, you can make a completely edible and healthy hamburger. However, trying it outside of planet Earth is even more difficult.
Aleph Farms first conceived the experiment. BBC describes Aleph Farms as an Israeli company that “specializes in growing meat from cells And it is being performed by the first fully private group of astronauts to visit the International Space Station.”
However, despite the fact that the project is quite interesting, not released ill-wishers. A group of skeptics say the method is too unstable for astronauts to trust. Besides, they say, growing meat in space will never be as easy as bringing it from Earth.
A very complex process
It should be noted that growing meat from cells is not a simple process, and not a fast one, even on planet Earth. But that’s what Aleph Farms came for. Although the company is not the first to try to grow meat, yes this is the first attempt in space.
Of course, in order to “grow” meat, you can’t expect to come across a traditional farm. Despite this, the company does not like to use the term “lab-grown” treat their food.
The meat can be obtained from any animal, although bovine or pig cages are commonly used. These cells are supplied with everything necessary for their development; i.e. amino acids and carbohydrates. With the right food and the right conditions, the cell will multiply to form muscle tissuewhich later becomes edible meat for humans.
Some argue that this process can be much more environmentally friendly. The secret is that Methane from livestock is drastically reducedgoing directly from cage to piece of meat with no natural debris in the middle of the process.
How can you grow meat in space?
The big question for scientists is whether this process can be replicated in zero gravity. To do this, the SpaceX team went into space on the same April 8th. a sample of the packaging needed to grow meat in space.
A package that fits entirely in a shoebox-sized container. contains animal cells and all necessary ingredients feed and grow them in zero gravity; hovering a few kilometers from the planet.
Former astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria arrived on this mission, accompanied by Larry Connor, Eitan Stibbe and Mark Paty; from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Now, the group was expected to return to space on April 24 this yearto then proceed to the analysis of the course of the samples remaining in space.
We know from a lot of previous scientific research that physiology and biology behave quite differently in microgravity… So we really don’t know, nobody knows if these flesh growth culture processes can actually happen in space.
Zvika Tamari, head of the Aleph Farms space program.
A technology that can improve a lot…
Despite the obvious advantages of growing meat in the laboratory, there are several reasons why this science has not reached a universal and industrial scale.
One of them is the fact that this meat is too difficult to produce on a large scale. Aleph Farm is still waiting for the Israeli government to approve the commercial use of such meat in restaurants, so it’s still in a delicate enough situation on the planet to be served in space.
In addition, the process is usually quite slow. According to David Humberd, a chemical engineer at Berkeley, “animal cells grow slowly.” David Humberd not a fan of the idea of growing meat in space, and the engineer has his reasons. The point is not only the slowness of the process, but also the ease with which it can be spoiled in the event of the slightest mistake.
In fact how Humberd expands in statements BBC“If bacteria or fungi get into culture, they will grow out of animal cells much faster and take over, so you won’t be producing animal cells anymore. You are producing bacteria. and you have to throw them awaysays Mr. Humberd.
astronaut call
Nutrition plays a critical role in the physical and psychological well-being of a spacecraft crew. That’s why Karen Nyberg, unlike Humberd, supports the use of this type of food in space missions. As Nyberg comments: “Food comes in these white bags that we have to moisten, like milk powder and stuff…” In addition, he comments on how during missions, he wanted to smell roasted garlic and olive oil, something that is not available to them when they are hundreds of kilometers above the planet. “So whatever we can bring home, I think that would be great,” he added.
However, if humanity is serious about sending people to Mars, the first thing we should do is search is a way to create food on a large scale in a not-too-friendly environment.. Cultured meat is a great idea, but it seems that there is still a lot of work to be done in this direction.
Aleph Farms assures us that this capable of commercially producing food on planet Earth before trying anything out of orbit. After all, if it doesn’t work at home, it probably won’t work outside either.
Source: Hiper Textual
