NASA extends BioNutrients research on space-fermented food for astronaut health

NASA is continuing its BioNutrients research to develop space-fermented food solutions capable of providing essential nutrients for astronauts on long-duration missions. The project, which relies on engineered yeast to produce vitamins on demand, is part of an ongoing effort to address the nutritional challenges of extended spaceflight.

Some essential nutrients lack the shelf stability needed for multi-year missions, such as those planned for Mars exploration. To address this, NASA’s BioNutrients initiative applies biomanufacturing techniques similar to those used in traditional fermentation, such as yogurt production. However, the space-based approach ensures that astronauts can generate specific nutrients in required quantities as needed, rather than relying on pre-packaged supplies with limited shelf life.

The BioNutrients-1 experiment, launched in 2019, aimed to assess the stability and performance of a handheld production system designed to manufacture fresh vitamins in space. This system, housed in compact production packs, uses engineered yeast to produce essential nutrients, providing a potential solution for nutritional supplementation beyond Earth’s supply chain.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams recently conducted additional testing aboard the International Space Station (ISS), displaying a set of BioNutrients production packs as part of ongoing research efforts. The initial BioNutrients-1 experiments concluded in January 2024, but spare production packs remained onboard the ISS and at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California, where parallel ground-based tests have been conducted.

With the availability of spare packs, NASA’s International Space Station and Game Changing Development programs coordinated extended crew time to perform additional BioNutrients-2 experiments. This extension has prolonged the study’s timeline to nearly six years in orbit, providing valuable data on long-term stability and microbial performance in microgravity. The results from these experiments will contribute to BioNutrients-3, which completed an analog astronaut study in April 2024 and is scheduled to launch to the ISS later this year.

Astronauts will freeze BioNutrients-2 samples for eventual return to Earth, where scientists will analyze yeast growth and nutrient production levels. The findings will inform future advancements in space-based biomanufacturing and help refine strategies for sustaining astronaut health on extended missions beyond low Earth orbit.

(Picture shows NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams displaying a set of BioNutrients production packs during an experiment aboard the International Space Station. The experiment uses engineered yeast to produce nutrients and vitamins to support future astronaut health)