At present, the Canadian version of the Deep House Meals Problem introduced the grand prize winner for its years-long competitors to find new options to feed astronauts on long-term house missions.
The winner is a meals manufacturing system co-developed by Canadian corporations Ecoation and Maia Farms. The system, known as CANGrow, grows various kinds of contemporary meals, together with strawberries and cherry tomatoes, and likewise creates mycelium-derived protein utilizing Maia Farms’ biomass fermentation expertise. In response to the Canadian House Company, the CANGrow creators will obtain $380,000 in prize cash.
During the last three years, quite a few semifinalists and finalists within the Canadian version of the Deep House Meals Problem introduced system ideas for producing protein utilizing algae, bugs, or mycelium (fungal) as the first supply. One of many causes I believe CANGrow gained all of it is its capability to provide each plant-based proteins through biomass fermentation AND contemporary produce. Astronauts will want a full vary of vitamins whereas up in house for years at a time, and a system that produces each veggies and protein is a reasonably compelling idea.
The CANGrow system has 5 develop chambers, 4 of that are devoted to rising crops utilizing LED lighting for photosynthesis and a UV-treated hydroponic system for environment friendly watering. The fifth chamber is a small bioreactor that produces mycelium-derived protein utilizing a biomass fermentation course of developed by Maia Farms.
If having two Canadian startups co-develop the CANGrow system wasn’t Canadian sufficient, in response to Ecoation and Maia Farms, the system additionally incorporates accelerated composting expertise from Lomi, a wise composting system developed by British Columbia-based startup Pela.
Should you’re questioning who the winner is for the NASA/US version of the Deep House Meals Problem, you’ll have to attend a bit. In response to the timeline from NASA and the Deep House Meals Problem, the winners of the grand prize for the NASA problem nonetheless have but to endure simulation coaching in NASA’s Starlab Floor Lab, which is able to happen this summer season. After the methods are examined through simulated flight testing, the winner shall be introduced in August of this 12 months.
