The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a project to develop a sustainable food source for deep-space missions. The HOBI-WAN project, part of ESA's Terrae Novae Exploration Programme, will test Solein, a powdered protein created from microbes, air, and electricity. According to a recent statement, the protein could allow astronauts to grow food in space with minimal resources.
On Earth, Solein production uses ammonia as a nitrogen source, but in space, the process would rely on urea, a compound found in astronaut urine. ESA aims to ensure that the microbes grow in microgravity as effectively as they do on Earth, overcoming challenges in the behavior of gases and liquids that affect nutrient and gas transport.
From lab to orbit
Over the next eight months, Solar Foods and OHB System AG will develop the technology needed to test Solein production under space conditions. If successful, the protein will be produced aboard the International Space Station (ISS), marking the first time gas fermentation has been attempted in orbit.
ESA emphasizes that Solein could improve the autonomy, resilience, and well-being of astronauts on long-duration missions. The innovation is seen as a key step toward sustainable human presence on the Moon and, eventually, Mars, where traditional food resupply is impractical or impossible.