D oversees the group and spends a lot of his time preparing for the International Space Station crews scheduled to begin occupying the station next year. There's problems with the cultural differences about the food we're going to send up. The United States and the Russians split responsibility for feeding the station crews, he said. The group also works toward the future where astronauts won't be able to carry enough food or be resupplied externally. Astronauts on long missions might wind up being farmers and growing foodstuffs such as wheat, corn and lettuce.
Unique challenges confront the space farmer though.
In a closed environment, fumes from nutrient solutions and even the pleasant aroma of baking bread could prove hazardous. Additional challenges exist in recycling water, the time spent growing and processing food and not disturbing the spacecraft's navigation, power and stability. The future astronaut's diet will probably be plant-based, but not exclusively, Vodovotz said. Don't expect to see cows, pigs or goats venturing to the stars though. It would be an inefficient source of protein in addition using up the atmosphere and not giving back.