NASA offering $500,000 to invent new systems to feed astronauts on space missions

NASA has invited people to participate in a $5,00,000 competition to develop new technologies to feed astronauts during longer crewed missions to Mars and beyond. NASA, in partnership with the Canadian Space Agency, has launched the 'Deep Space Food Challenge', which calls on people to develop new technologies to produce food for future space missions. The challenge will require participants to develop an integrated food system that provides daily nutritional needs with a variety of palatable and safe food choices for a three-year round-trip mission with no resupply. 

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Rules and eligibility 

Participants have until May 28 to register their interest and until July 30 to present their design application. The first phase will shortlist 20 applicants, who will then receive $25,000 in grant funding and the opportunity to become a Semi-Finalist entering into Phase 2 of the Challenge. Phase 2 of the Challenge will see up to 10 of the most promising food production technology designs being selected, which will then give them a year to build their food production technology prototype. Semi-finalists will be competing for about $80,000 in grant funding and the opportunity to become a Finalist entering Phase 3 of the Challenge.

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"Up to four Finalists whose prototypes had the most impressive performance in Phase 2 will be selected to move on to Phase 3. At this stage, Finalists will have 12 to 18 months to build a full-scale food production technology and demonstrate the technology at an appropriate facility. Teams may be asked to provide a plan for future application of the demonstrated technology in a terrestrial context. Finalists at this stage are competing to become the Grand Prize Winner who will receive $3,00,000 in grant funding," CSA said in a statement.  

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The Grand Prize Winner will be announced in Spring 2024. The Deep Space Food Challenge is open to for-profit or not-for-profit organizations and individuals registered to do business in Canada and the United States and also for nationals of other countries. 

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