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Scientific experimentation is engaged in out-of-orbit explorations that could advance the future of sustainable food. One of these is the cultivation of mushrooms in space through an experiment called “Mission MushVroom” in which scientists are testing whether mushrooms can grow fruit in microgravity. If the experiment works, it could open up a new dimension in astronaut nutrition and the way food is grown on Earth.
Led by Dr Flávia Fayet-Moore, space nutritionist and CEO of FOODiQ Global, the mission began with blocks of colonised substrate and tubes of mycelium to observe how oyster mushrooms colonise and how they can fruit in space. ‘Edible mushrooms like the oyster mushroom offer unique agricultural applications and nutritional benefits, making them the perfect space crop,’ says Fayet-Moore. “They grow quickly in small spaces, require minimal resources such as water, and need no sunlight to grow. They are also fully edible and help bring vegetable farming full circle.
Unlike other crops on earth, mushrooms fit the ‘grow, pick and eat’ model, ideal for space missions without kitchen facilities. They are also a source of nutritional energy, providing 100% of an astronaut’s daily vitamin D requirement.
In parallel, the scientific team is also investigating possible physical, biochemical or genetic differences compared to mushrooms grown on Earth. ‘If we are able to grow mushrooms and other crops in these confined, controlled environments, urban agriculture could be advanced here on Earth,’ says Fayet-Moore. ‘Faced with the challenge of feeding 10 billion people by 2050, this kind of research could be a game-changer.’