Deep Space Food Challenge
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) worked with NASA on the Deep Space Food Challenge, a competition to develop new technologies to produce food for future space missions while expanding opportunities for food production on Earth.
Following a competition spanning over three years, the winner of the Deep Space Food Challenge has been selected. Vancouver-based Ecoaction Innovative Solutions Inc. will receive $380,000 in grant funding as the grand prize winner. Their CANGrow Modular Indoor Food Production System has the potential to sustain astronauts during long-duration missions in space, while addressing food security in isolated communities 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 sought 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.
The CSA is involved in food production initiatives that could be applied to long-duration space missions, and also have the potential to benefit people on Earth. (Credits: CSA, NASA, ESA/NASA–T. Pesquet, Arctic Research Foundation, Canacompost Systems, AlgaBloom International Ltd., University of Waterloo, Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc., McGill University / McGill Advanced bio-Regenerative Toolkit for Long Excursion Trips (MARTLET), University of Guelph, PeaPod Technologies Inc., Noblegen Inc., Concordia University)
Who was eligible to participate?
The Deep Space Food Challenge called Canadian innovators to submit a design concept for their food production technology by .
The following groups were eligible to participate in the Deep Space Food Challenge:
- 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
Winners
Phase 3 winners
In , the jury selected the grand prize winner of the Deep Space Food Challenge in the third and final phase of the Challenge.
| Organization | Project name |
|---|---|
| Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc. | CANGrow Modular Indoor Food Production System |
For more information on the Challenge and its prize structure, visit the Impact Canada webpage.
Phase 2 winners
Four Canadian teams were selected by the Deep Space Food Challenge jury in phase 2 of the Challenge.
The teams that moved on to phase 3 were:
| Organization | Project name |
|---|---|
| McGill University / McGill Advanced bio-Regenerative Toolkit for Long Excursion Trips (MARTLET) | Cricket Rearing, Collection, and Transformation System |
| Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc. | CANGrow Modular Indoor Food Production System |
| University of Guelph | Canada – Growth Options for Outer Space Environments (GOOSE) |
| Concordia University | AstroYeast Microfarm: Space-adapted Nutrient and Flavour Factory |
Phase 1 winners
Ten Canadian teams were selected by the Deep Space Food Challenge jury in phase 1 of the Challenge.
The teams that moved on to phase 2 were:
| Organization | Project name |
|---|---|
| Canacompost Systems | The Outpost: Space Composting With Black Soldier Flies |
| McGill University / McGill Advanced bio-Regenerative Toolkit for Long Excursion Trips (MARTLET) | Cricket Rearing, Collection, and Transformation System |
| McGill University / McGill Advanced bio-Regenerative Toolkit for Long Excursion Trips (MARTLET) | InSpira Photobioreactor |
| AlgaBloom International Ltd. | A Programmable Microalgae Cultivation Platform for Sustainable Food Production in Space |
| University of Waterloo | Hydrogel Photobioreactors for Cultivation of Food and Life Support |
| Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc. | CANGrow Modular Indoor Food Production System |
| University of Guelph | Canada – Growth Options for Outer Space Environments (GOOSE) |
| PeaPod Technologies Inc. | PeaPod |
| Noblegen Inc. | SEuPS – Space Euglena Production System |
| Concordia University | AstroYeast Microfarm: Space-adapted Nutrient and Flavour Factory |
Participating organizations
The CSA and the Privy Council Office's Impact Canada Initiative worked with NASA on the Deep Space Food Challenge.