European Space Agency partners with Finnish startup to develop sustainable protein powder from microbes, air, and recycled urine for deep space missions
Forget complaints about airline meals—future space travelers might be dining on something far more unusual. The European Space Agency (ESA) has unveiled plans to produce an innovative “space food” created from air, electricity, and recycled human waste for upcoming lunar and Mars missions.
As explained here, according to Angelique Van Ombergen, the ESA’s chief exploration scientist, this initiative represents a crucial step forward. “This project aims at developing a key resource that will allow us to improve human spaceflight’s autonomy, resilience, and also the well-being of our astronauts,” she explained to the Independent.
From microbes to meals
The product, called Solein, comes from Finnish startup Solar Foods. It’s a protein-rich powder produced through gas fermentation—a process that combines microbes, air, and electricity. What makes it particularly suited for space is its efficiency and versatility.
The critical component for protein production in space is urea, an organic compound present in human urine, which supplies the nitrogen needed for protein synthesis. On Earth, ammonia typically serves this function, but in space, recycling urine makes practical sense.
The ESA plans to test whether this unconventional protein source can be manufactured aboard the International Space Station (ISS) through an experiment called HOBI-WAN (Hydrogen Oxidizing Bacteria In Weightlessness As a source of Nutrition).
“The aim of the project is to confirm that our organism grows in the space environment as it does on the ground, and to develop the fundamentals of gas fermentation technology to be used in space—something that has never been done before in the history of humankind,” explained Arttu Luukanen, senior vice president of space and defense at Solar Foods, according to Space.com. He noted that the unique behavior of gases and liquids in microgravity, particularly the absence of buoyancy, could significantly impact how nutrients and gases reach the microbes.
Addressing a critical challenge
This isn’t merely experimental curiosity. With SpaceX and other organizations planning Mars missions, finding ways to sustain astronauts on extended voyages has become increasingly important.
Currently, the ISS receives food manufactured on Earth and transported to orbit—an approach that works for nearby destinations but becomes prohibitively expensive and logistically challenging for journeys to Mars or extended lunar stays.
“For human beings to be able to implement long-duration missions on the Moon, or even one day, to go to Mars, will require innovative and sustainable solutions to be able to survive with limited supplies,” Van Ombergen emphasized. “With this project, the ESA is developing a key capability for the future of space exploration.”
The path forward
The development process will begin with eight months of terrestrial research to perfect the technology on Earth. If successful, the team will then conduct trials in the microgravity environment of the ISS.
Solar Foods envisions Solein becoming a dietary staple for space explorers. “This project is just the beginning—we are working towards reaching operational capability: being able to produce Solein in a range of production scales in space,” Luukanen said. “Our vision is that by 2035, Solein is the mainstay protein of space explorers.”