Australian company’s bid to grow first mushrooms in space
Australian nutrition company FoodiQ Global will experiment if astronauts can colonise oyster mushrooms in outer space using microgravity.
An Australian company is set to become the first to debut a crop of mushrooms in outer space in an experiment led by a homegrown astronaut.
Food and nutrition outfit FOODiQ Global will run tests to discover whether oyster mushrooms can colonise in microgravity, in the hopes of delivering a sustainable source of food for future space expeditions.
The three-day expedition, nicknamed “Mission MushVroom”, will be the first human flight to explore Earth from a polar orbit aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Mushrooms are an ideal food to be grown in orbit given their fast growth and nutritional value.
Polar adventurer Eric Philips will lead the experiment as part of the four-person crew, becoming the fourth Australian in space, as the team monitors how the fungi grows and documents its development rate, signs of contamination and other properties.
Aboard the Fram2 mission alongside Mr Philips are funder and commander Chun Wang, mission specialist and co-pilot Rabe Rogge, as well as vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen.
Australian Chris Boshuizen flew on a Blue Origin spaceflight in 2021, while Australian born astronauts Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas flew as American citizens.
Chief executive of FOODiQ Global and Australian scientist and nutritionist Dr Flavia Fayet-Moore said the fungi made for the “perfect space crop.”
“In space, food often tastes bland due to altered taste perception and the need for a low-sodium diet to help counteract the negative effects of microgravity on bone health. Mushrooms are rich in umami flavour, being one of the only tastes that remains strong in space,” she said.
“Oyster mushrooms rapidly grow in small spaces, doubling in size daily, and are packed with a rich nutrient profile. Uniquely, they produce 100 per cent of astronauts’ daily dose of vitamin D when exposed to UV light, potentially replacing one of the key supplements currently given to them on the International Space Station.”
Fellow Australian biotechnology company Lifecykel, known for its work in sustainable fungi cultivation, will also be in on the action, providing the mushrooms for the mission.
NASA’s former space crop production and exploration food systems project manager Ralph Fritsche has been appointed “Mission MushVroom” co-investigator, and said the success of the mission would be a “significant milestone for space exploration and sustainable nutrition”.
The expedition will launch from Florida as early as March 31.
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