Insect food in space

Abstract

The question addressed here is how to produce palatable food on long-term space flights and during extended tenancy in space colonies. That will be done in closed ecosystems that must be stable, robust, resilient, and sustainable. In these, because of their size, insects will be an obvious food choice. A number of species have been proposed, their suitability based on characteristics such as their capacity to be reared at high densities, ability to convert organic waste, a short life cycle and a high feed conversion ratio, resistance to diseases, good nutrition and organoleptic qualities as well as being safe for human consumption. A shift to insects as food will require dietary adaptation, but will also provide many opportunities for innovation.

Improvement of Printability Properties of High-Protein Food from Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) Using Guar Gum for Sustainable Future Food Manufacturing

“…In a specific application, mealworms are a potential sustainable food source in the human exploration of distant planets and other long-duration human space missions [13] because their rapid growth and rich nutrition enable efficient food production [14]. Jones [15] suggested that the daily consumption of roasted mealworms on a long-duration space mission could reach 14,720 g or 161,920 mealworms, considering that 11 mealworms of medium size have a combined mass of 100 g. The potential use of mealworms as a source of protein in deep-space exploration could therefore alleviate logistical challenges and provide astronauts with a sustainable and locally producible meat source [16].…”

Printability Properties of Protein Gel Obtained from Mealworm (<em>Tenebrio molitor</em>) in the 3D Food Printing of Deep-Space Food

“…In a specific application, mealworms are a potential sustainable food source in the human exploration of distant planets and other long-duration human space missions [7] because their rapid growth and rich nutrition enable efficient food production [8]. Jones [9] suggested that the daily consumption of roasted mealworms on a long-duration space mission could reach 14,720 g or 161,920 mealworms, considering that 11 mealworms of medium size have a combined mass of 100 g. The potential use of mealworms as a source of protein in deep-space exploration could therefore alleviate logistical challenges and provide astronauts with a sustainable and locally producible meat source [10].…”