Latest news with #spacefood
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
KBR Announces Intent to Build Human Spaceflight Innovation Facility at ACMI Properties' Exploration Park, Supporting Missions to Mars, the Moon, and In-Orbit
Global leader in human spaceflight and aerospace services to operate a 45,000-square-foot astronaut food innovation facility at Exploration Park on NASA's Johnson Space Center HOUSTON, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACMI Properties ('ACMI'), a national industrial developer of mission-critical aerospace and national security facilities, today announced that KBR (NYSE: KBR), a global leader in human spaceflight and aerospace services, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to operate a 45,000-square-foot facility at ACMI's Exploration Park development on NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. At Exploration Park, KBR will establish a state-of-the-art space food innovation facility that will be purpose-built by ACMI Properties to support the fast-growing low Earth orbit (LEO) economy, where demand for advanced human-centric systems, particularly tailored food, packaging, and nutrition, is rapidly increasing. 'This KBR-led capability will serve as a critical resource for NASA and its provider community by delivering safe, expertly developed food solutions tailored for human performance on spaceflight missions,' said Mark Kavanaugh, KBR President, Defense, Intel and Space. 'Our commitment to fulfilling and exceeding all human performance needs—including behavioral health and performance—will be at the forefront of this endeavor and will provide a level of integration across all pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight mission phases that serves a multitude of mission models, durations, and complexities.' At this location, KBR will design, validate, and integrate astronaut food systems engineered for both government and commercial missions, with applications across LEO, lunar, and Mars environments. The facility will also develop solutions for extreme terrestrial environments where food security, lifecycle management, and performance optimization are mission critical. 'Exploration Park is designed for companies in the space ecosystem, such as KBR, to develop, produce, and deploy innovative new technologies that support space exploration and commerce,' said Simon Shewmaker, Head of Development at ACMI Properties. 'This project is moving expeditiously, and we're thrilled to sign such an innovative partner in KBR, reflecting our shared commitment to building the essential infrastructure of tomorrow for the next generation of space innovators and explorers.'As efforts to return to the Moon, reach Mars, and expand capabilities in orbit increase, the need for commercially driven innovation has never been greater. Exploration Park is tailored to be the nation's premier hub for commercial space innovation and a global center of excellence for human spaceflight. The 207-acre site at NASA's Johnson Space Center is planned to host up to 22 buildings and 1.5 million square feet of R&D facilities, labs, clean rooms, offices, and light manufacturing. The park will serve key sectors such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing, robotics, AI, and other technologies critical to human spaceflight, space commerce, and space exploration. In addition to KBR, ACMI Properties is actively negotiating with several other prospective tenants, with further announcements expected soon. 'Exploration Park represents the next chapter in Houston's legacy as the world's leader in human spaceflight,' said Brian Freedman, President of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. 'The decision by KBR to locate here reinforces the region's strength in space, science, and innovation. Congratulations to the ACMI team, NASA's Johnson Space Center, and all the partners on this project!' About ACMI PropertiesACMI Properties is a commercial real estate development firm focused on the industrial development of mission-critical facilities and innovation clusters to meet the growing onshoring needs of advanced manufacturing companies. ACMI Properties caters to the unique requirements of advanced manufacturing companies in the national security and aerospace industries, with a focus on specialized technologies such as propulsion systems, critical chemicals, hypersonics, space systems, energetics, and scaled manufacturing among others. ACMI Properties is the property development affiliate of the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI). For more information, visit About KBRKBR is a global leader in the development and delivery of spaceflight solutions, dedicated to advancing human space exploration with innovative and expert systems. With decades of experience, KBR is committed to excellence and collaboration, striving to meet the evolving needs of our partners and customers. For more information, visit Media Contact:Karen HamillCommunications Strategy Group (CSG)khamill@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
KBR Announces Intent to Build Human Spaceflight Innovation Facility at ACMI Properties' Exploration Park, Supporting Missions to Mars, the Moon, and In-Orbit
Global leader in human spaceflight and aerospace services to operate a 45,000-square-foot astronaut food innovation facility at Exploration Park on NASA's Johnson Space Center HOUSTON, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACMI Properties ('ACMI'), a national industrial developer of mission-critical aerospace and national security facilities, today announced that KBR (NYSE: KBR), a global leader in human spaceflight and aerospace services, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to operate a 45,000-square-foot facility at ACMI's Exploration Park development on NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. At Exploration Park, KBR will establish a state-of-the-art space food innovation facility that will be purpose-built by ACMI Properties to support the fast-growing low Earth orbit (LEO) economy, where demand for advanced human-centric systems, particularly tailored food, packaging, and nutrition, is rapidly increasing. 'This KBR-led capability will serve as a critical resource for NASA and its provider community by delivering safe, expertly developed food solutions tailored for human performance on spaceflight missions,' said Mark Kavanaugh, KBR President, Defense, Intel and Space. 'Our commitment to fulfilling and exceeding all human performance needs—including behavioral health and performance—will be at the forefront of this endeavor and will provide a level of integration across all pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight mission phases that serves a multitude of mission models, durations, and complexities.' At this location, KBR will design, validate, and integrate astronaut food systems engineered for both government and commercial missions, with applications across LEO, lunar, and Mars environments. The facility will also develop solutions for extreme terrestrial environments where food security, lifecycle management, and performance optimization are mission critical. 'Exploration Park is designed for companies in the space ecosystem, such as KBR, to develop, produce, and deploy innovative new technologies that support space exploration and commerce,' said Simon Shewmaker, Head of Development at ACMI Properties. 'This project is moving expeditiously, and we're thrilled to sign such an innovative partner in KBR, reflecting our shared commitment to building the essential infrastructure of tomorrow for the next generation of space innovators and explorers.'As efforts to return to the Moon, reach Mars, and expand capabilities in orbit increase, the need for commercially driven innovation has never been greater. Exploration Park is tailored to be the nation's premier hub for commercial space innovation and a global center of excellence for human spaceflight. The 207-acre site at NASA's Johnson Space Center is planned to host up to 22 buildings and 1.5 million square feet of R&D facilities, labs, clean rooms, offices, and light manufacturing. The park will serve key sectors such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing, robotics, AI, and other technologies critical to human spaceflight, space commerce, and space exploration. In addition to KBR, ACMI Properties is actively negotiating with several other prospective tenants, with further announcements expected soon. 'Exploration Park represents the next chapter in Houston's legacy as the world's leader in human spaceflight,' said Brian Freedman, President of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. 'The decision by KBR to locate here reinforces the region's strength in space, science, and innovation. Congratulations to the ACMI team, NASA's Johnson Space Center, and all the partners on this project!' About ACMI PropertiesACMI Properties is a commercial real estate development firm focused on the industrial development of mission-critical facilities and innovation clusters to meet the growing onshoring needs of advanced manufacturing companies. ACMI Properties caters to the unique requirements of advanced manufacturing companies in the national security and aerospace industries, with a focus on specialized technologies such as propulsion systems, critical chemicals, hypersonics, space systems, energetics, and scaled manufacturing among others. ACMI Properties is the property development affiliate of the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI). For more information, visit About KBRKBR is a global leader in the development and delivery of spaceflight solutions, dedicated to advancing human space exploration with innovative and expert systems. With decades of experience, KBR is committed to excellence and collaboration, striving to meet the evolving needs of our partners and customers. For more information, visit Media Contact:Karen HamillCommunications Strategy Group (CSG)khamill@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Sky News
20-05-2025
- Science
- Sky News
What astronauts could end up eating in space after experiment 'meets objectives'
Feeding astronauts is astronomically expensive and as the idea of humans colonising the moon and Mars becomes increasingly realistic, there's a race to find better ways to feed them. It costs an estimated £20,000 a day to feed just one human in space, and that will only increase the further away we travel. The bulk of the cost comes from transportation - every extra gram of weight added to a rocket means more fuel burned and less space for money-making "payloads" or cargo. Fresh food is also unlikely to last a full trip to the International Space Station (ISS), let alone a trip to the moon's south pole or Mars. Instead, space agencies and scientists around the world are trying to work out how to make food where the astronauts are, instead of transporting it all from Earth. A team that recently launched a mini-laboratory into orbit to test, for the first time, if lab-grown food could be grown in space told Sky News its experiment "met the mission's objectives". "This is our first step towards... a future where we can produce food, materials, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and fuels needed for space exploration directly where and when it is needed," said one of the team's scientists, Dr Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro from Imperial College, London. Their mission may lay the groundwork for cheaper and more varied food in space, as more of us blast off to the stars. Lab-grown steaks, Chinese food and more One option for feeding astronauts is "precision fermenting" food in space, which is what Dr Ledesma-Amaro's team are attempting. "Precision fermentation is how we make beer, how we make bread, how we make kimchi," he said. It's also how some vegetarian proteins like Quorn are made. "It's healthy [and] it can give us all the protein and micronutrients we need." An advantage of using microorganisms to grow food in space, where they'll face extreme conditions like microgravity, high radiation and potentially high temperatures, is their hardiness. "When we go to extreme environments like the top of the mountain or the bottom of the sea, the only organisms are the microorganisms," said Dr Ledesma-Amaro. "So they are the ones that can adapt better to this extreme environment." Fermenting microorganisms to create different foods doesn't mean everything will get the slightly sour, fermented taste of pickles or beer. Instead, scientists can make a fermented version of pretty much anything. "On Earth, there are companies producing milk proteins and making milk without cows, or maybe taking proteins and making steaks," said Dr Ledesma-Amaro. Aqeel Shamsul, chief executive of Frontier Space, said the huge variety of food they'll be able to make will also boost astronauts' morale. "You can get all the base ingredients for Chinese cuisine, for example, and then make the dish that you want," he said. "It's really important to be able to support the astronauts, but also for morale purposes." Growing fresh fruit and veggies Another option for feeding people in space is from traditional horticulture, with a twist. On the ISS, there is a small, experimental garden tended to by astronauts known as Veggie. Lettuce, cabbage, kale and flowers have all been grown in the garden, according to NASA, with the vegetables adding variety to the astronauts' diets. The Veggie garden is roughly the size of a carry-on bag and can hold six plants, which grow in a "pillow" filled with clay compost and fertiliser. The pillows help distribute water, nutrients and air around the roots. Without the pillows, the roots could drown or get mouldy, because in space, fluids tend to form bubbles. Freeze-dried fare Finally, there's the traditional packaged or freeze-dried fare astronauts currently eat in space. NASA astronauts, for example, can choose from a menu of freeze-dried food and drink powders as well as "cookies, candy, and other dried goods", according to the US space agency. Some astronauts even take their own bespoke creations with them, like Britain's Tim Peake, who took tins of luxury food like stewed apples and bacon sandwiches created by Heston Blumenthal to the ISS. But when humans fly further into space without access to resupply shipments, the vitamins in those packaged foods will break down over time, according to NASA. That could lead to deficiencies in astronauts' diets, which is why so many people are investigating new ways to make food in space.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Here's the wild way NASA astronaut made a makeshift version of popular food item in space: ‘This hits the spot in its own way'
A NASA astronaut recently revealed what a makeshift cheeseburger in space looks like — and nothing about it looks appetizing. When you're in space and don't have easy access to much, let alone a fast food restaurant — you have to make do with what you have. That's exactly what Jonny Kim, who is currently on the International Space Station (ISS), had to do when he was recently craving a burger. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his 'ranger burger' creation — which consisted of 'beef steak, wheat snack bread, cheese spread as both topping and glue, potatoes au gratin layered in the middle, and a generous slather of gochujang red pepper paste from a care package on the SpX-32 Cargo Dragon.' 'I miss cooking for my family, but this hits the spot in its own way,' he wrote in his tweet. Kim has been on the spacecraft since early April and will spend eight months there, according to the Daily Mail. While it's easy for people on Earth to judge Kim's creation — astronauts are not only forced to get creative with what they have access to, they have to make sure they're consuming enough calories while in outer space. Two NASA astronauts that were stranded on the ISS for five months chowed down on pizza, roast chicken and shrimp cocktail. Unfortunately, processed food is what many in their position have to eat because the Space Food Systems Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center in Houston has limited fresh fruit and veggies. 'There's fresh fruit at first,' a specialist told The Post, 'but as the three months continues, that goes away — and their fruits and vegetables are packaged or freeze-dried.' All meat products — like the beef steak used in Kim's burger — and eggs are originally cooked on Earth and are then reheated in space for consumption. Food aside — even making a cup of coffee is quite the task while in space. Supposedly, astronauts use a Zero-G cup, or capillary cup, to guide the coffee liquid from the cup's base to their lips to sip it as if they were on Earth. 'We take gravity for granted. Generally, we are unaware of the weight of our hands, or how easily we pour coffee into a cup. We don't stop to think, 'Will the coffee rise up and pour out?' or 'Can we pour the coffee?' We just do it,' said spaceman Don Pettit.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
NASA astronaut on board the ISS shares his take on a popular fast-food item - so, can YOU tell what it's meant to be?
NASA has managed to get men on the moon, rovers on Mars, and probes around Saturn 's rings. But it seems the space agency is yet to master how to make an appetising cheeseburger in space. Jonny Kim, a NASA astronaut on board the International Space Station (ISS) has shared a photo of a 'cheeseburger' floating in zero-gravity. Unlike the fast-food treats that many of us enjoy here on solid ground, it doesn't look very appetising. Despite being 260 miles above the nearest grocery store, his snack impressively consisted of five ingredients. This includes 'wheat snack bread' as the bun, a beef steak as the burger, and congealed cheese spread as the cheese. 'I miss cooking for my family,' the astronaut, who has been on board the ISS since April 8, tweeted. He added: 'But this hits the spot in its own way.' Kim launched to the ISS on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft on April 8, 2025, and is set to spend eight months on board the floating space station. Since his arrival, Kim has been keeping his fans on X updated on his experiences - including his meals. 'If you've lived on MREs [ready-to-eat meals], you've probably tried some creative field recipes, he tweeted. 'Here is a twist on the ranger burger, one of my favorites.' With limited resources on board the ISS, Kim had to get pretty creative with his burger. 'Beef steak, wheat snack bread, cheese spread as both topping and glue, potatoes au gratin layered in the middle, and a generous slather of gochujang red pepper paste from a care package on the SpX-32 Cargo Dragon,' he explained, alongside pictures of his creation. While the burger doesn't look particularly appetising, several fans have applauded his efforts. 'In outer space while inventing new lunchables! Keep up the good work,' one user replied. Unlike the fast-food treats that many of us enjoy here on solid ground, Kim's burger doesn't look very appetising Another added: 'Thank you for sharing this tasty looking sandwich and views from your adventures in space thus far! 'Lots of respect and admiration.' This isn't the first time an astronaut has attempted to create a cheeseburger in space. Back in 2015, astronaut Terry Virts tweeted a photo of a strange-looking 'space cheeseburger' wrapped in a tortilla. 'Beef patties, Russian mustard, tomato paste, cheese paste and tortilla. VERY TASTY!' the Baltimore-born astronaut wrote alongside his post. The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth. It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000. Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and European space agency ESA have also sent astronauts. Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen. ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology. The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan. So far 244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit. There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station beyond 2025, when it is thought some of the original structure will reach 'end of life'. Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around then, with Axiom Space, a private firm, planning to send its own modules for purely commercial use to the station at the same time.
