NASA Invites Media, Public to Attend Deep Space
Food Challenge Finale
Aug 02, 2024
MEDIA ADVISORY M24-106
NASA�??s Deep Space Food Challenge directly supports the agency�??s Moon to Mars initiatives.
Credit: NASA
NASA invites the media and public to explore the nexus of space and food innovation at the agency�??s Deep Space Food Challenge symposium and winners�?? announcement
at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Aug. 16.
In 2019, NASA and the CSA (Canadian Space Agency) started the Deep Space Food Challenge, a multi-year international effort to develop sustainable food systems for
long-duration habitation in space including the Moon and Mars. Since Phase 1 of the challenge opened in 2021, more than 300 teams from 32 countries have developed innovative food system designs. On Aug. 16, NASA will announce the final Phase 3 winners and
recognize the shared global effort.
NASA will award up to $1.5 million during the awards ceremony, totaling the prize purse for this three-year competition at $3 million. International teams also will
be recognized for their achievements.
�??Advanced food systems also benefit life on Earth,�?� said Kim Krome-Sieja, acting program manager of NASA Centennial Challenges at NASA�??s Marshall Space Flight Center
in Huntsville, Alabama. �??Solutions from this challenge could enable new avenues for food production around the world, especially in extreme environments, resource-scarce regions, and in locations where disasters disrupt critical infrastructure.�?�
Media also may request attendance for activities on Thursday, Aug. 15, including private tours, networking, knowledge sharing, and culinary experiences. Interested
media need to RSVP by 3 p.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 12, to Lane Figueroa at lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov.
The Methuselah Foundation, NASA�??s partner in the Deep Space Food Challenge, is hosting the event in coordination with the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural,
and Environmental Sciences and NASA
Centennial Challenges.
�??Our Phase 2 winners�??
event in Brooklyn, New York, was an incredible display of innovation, partnership, and collaboration across NASA, industry, and academia,�?� said Angela Herblet, challenge manager of the Deep Space Food Challenge and program analyst of NASA Centennial
Challenges at NASA Marshall. �??I�??m looking forward to celebrating these brilliant Phase 3 finalists and underscoring the giant leaps they�??ve made toward creating sustainable, regenerative food production systems.�?�
The event will feature a meet and greet with the Phase 3 finalists, symposium panels, and live demonstrations of the finalists�?? food production technologies. Attendees
also will have the opportunity to meet the crew of Ohio State students called �??Simunauts,�?�
who managed operations of the technologies during the eight-week demonstration and testing period.
�??The Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing team is excited to welcome media, stakeholders, and the public to our event in Columbus,�?� said Amy Kaminski, program executive
for NASA�??s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. �??These finalists have worked diligently for three years to develop their diverse, innovative food systems, and I�??m excited to see how their technologies may impact NASA�??s
future deep space missions.�?�
The awards ceremony also will livestream on Marshall Space Flight Center�??s YouTube channel
and NASA Prize�??s Facebook page.
As a�?�NASA Centennial Challenge, the Deep Space Food Challenge is a coordinated effort between�?�NASA�?�and CSA for the benefit of all. Subject matter experts at�?�NASA�??s
Johnson Space Center�?�in Houston and�?�NASA�??s Kennedy Space Center�?�in Florida support the competition. NASA�??s Centennial Challenges are part of the�?�Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program�?�within NASA�??s�?�Space
Technology Mission Directorate�?�and managed at�?�NASA�??s Marshall Space Flight Center�?�in Huntsville, Alabama.�?�The Methuselah Foundation, in partnership with NASA, oversees the competitors.
For more information about the symposium, see the symposium website.
To learn more about the Deep Space Food Challenge, visit:
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