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The final frontier? Astronauts could recycle their waste into protein paste
www.digitaltrends.com ^ | January 30, 2018 10:07 am | By Luke Dormehl

Posted on 01/31/2018 1:27:08 PM PST by Red Badger

We might sometimes talk about eating crap on a night in, but that’s nothing compared to the more literal crap future astronauts could well find themselves chowing down on. That’s thanks to researchers at Penn State University, who have been using a research grant from NASA to develop technology for breaking down solid and liquid waste, and transforming it into food that’s hygienic and safe for humans — albeit something you probably won’t be serving at a dinner party anytime soon. The resulting foodstuff is high in both protein and fat, and apparently not dissimilar to savory British sandwich spread, Marmite.

“This is not the typical research direction for my laboratory, but among other things we do work with unusual microorganisms,” Christopher House, professor of geosciences at Penn State, told Digital Trends. “In 2009, NASA had a call for proposals for educational research projects that advance the topic of space colonization. Lisa Steinberg, who is an environmental engineer, and I proposed to that call the general concept here of coupling anaerobic digestion to microbial growth of non-pathogenic microbes.”

The proof-of-concept system the Penn State researchers built involves sending human waste through a fixed-film, plug-through anaerobic reactor which converts the organic matter into methane and carbon dioxide. The reactor uses a plastic media with a high surface area-to-volume ratio, and is typically used in aquariums and ponds to treat ammonium from fish waste.

“In our reactor, this plastic media provided a surface for the bacteria to attach so the waste material could flow through the reactor and past these microbial biofilms, where the attached microbes would remove organic matter and other nutrients,” Steinberg told Digital Trends. “A special group of bacteria in the reactor, named methanogens, produce methane which we used to grow methylococcus capsulatus, a methane-consuming microbe. Using the gas from the anaerobic reactor allowed us to prevent the transfer of potential pathogens or other unwanted microbes into the reactor growing M. capsulatus.”

Sadly, the project is currently concluded and Steinberg says “there is nothing else planned,” although she noted that it could be picked up by another research team wanting to continue the work.

“Deep-space flight is really difficult with food production being one of many tough to tackle issues,” House concluded. “I am most excited by the concept that remarkable, and sometimes extreme, microorganisms might help make deep space flight more practical. Naturally, this paper is only a small step, and I think that we have not necessarily found the optimal solution with respect to which microbes are used and how.”


TOPICS: Agriculture; Astronomy; Food; Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS:
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To: Red Badger

...and die


21 posted on 01/31/2018 1:40:05 PM PST by AppyPappy (Don't mistake your dorm political discussions with the desires of the nation)
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To: real saxophonist

Beat me to it;)


22 posted on 01/31/2018 1:40:40 PM PST by Catmom (We're all gonna get the punishment only some of us deserve.)
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To: Red Badger

Reason #9 why I don’t want to personally go into space.


23 posted on 01/31/2018 1:40:50 PM PST by samtheman (Liberalism is a mental disease.)
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To: butlerweave

I used to have a dog who was way ahead of his time.


24 posted on 01/31/2018 1:41:32 PM PST by hardspunned
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To: AppyPappy

LOL....................It took me a second..............


25 posted on 01/31/2018 1:41:41 PM PST by Red Badger (Wanna surprise? Google your own name. Wanna have fun? Google your friends names......)
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To: CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC

So that’s what Pelosi was gumming on!


26 posted on 01/31/2018 1:44:09 PM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing! Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a doctor and I won't touch that thing)
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To: Red Badger

Now we know what Pelosi was chewing on during the SOTU last night!


27 posted on 01/31/2018 1:45:25 PM PST by Radagast the Fool (At my signal, UNLEASH PALIN!!)
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To: Red Badger

Consider the effect on the astronauts during a long voyage. While cruising, there is little to do to keep them occupied. NASA can invent make-work projects for them to do, but they will know that it’s fake.

After a few weeks the reality sets in. Even though highly-motivated, they start to hate their life in a small compartment far from all that sustains life.

They will begin to resent the $hithole that they are in, with no way to get out. Making them eat $hit will not make it any better, given that it’s obvious that there are already firm plans to make them drink pi$$ that has gone through a purification machine.

In short, this is a dumb idea, just as the idea of The Martian using other astronauts’ $hit as fertilizer.


28 posted on 01/31/2018 1:46:03 PM PST by I want the USA back (The media is acting full-on as the Democratic Party's press agency now: Robert Spencer)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Beat me to it, Dr. Bogus!! :)


29 posted on 01/31/2018 1:47:19 PM PST by Radagast the Fool (At my signal, UNLEASH PALIN!!)
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To: Red Badger

So...they’re gonna eat their own poop? That ought to beef up NASA’a astronaut recruitment program.


30 posted on 01/31/2018 1:47:53 PM PST by pgkdan (The Silent Majority STILL Stands With TRUMP!)
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To: Red Badger

“Soylent Brown!!!!!” Split my gut laughing at this one.


31 posted on 01/31/2018 1:51:10 PM PST by I want the USA back (Consistently acting in a way that is in opposition to our human nature is INSANITY.)
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To: Red Badger

Finally.


32 posted on 01/31/2018 1:54:14 PM PST by Leep (The dims better watch it..Trump is CRAZY!!)
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To: Red Badger

I would eat my fellow astronauts before I ever put one of these recycled “protein spread” from THIS NASA agency.

This is NOT your grandfather’s NASA.


33 posted on 01/31/2018 1:54:36 PM PST by RedMonqey (Rockets... Lottsa Rockets..)
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To: I want the USA back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=008BPUdQ1XA


34 posted on 01/31/2018 1:55:43 PM PST by Red Badger (Wanna surprise? Google your own name. Wanna have fun? Google your friends names......)
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To: PGR88

Yup. I think I have just been marooned to this planet.


35 posted on 01/31/2018 2:00:26 PM PST by Delta 21 (Build The Wall !! Jail The Cankle !!)
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To: Red Badger

Eat sh!t and die.


36 posted on 01/31/2018 2:01:15 PM PST by Clarancebeaks
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To: Red Badger

Actually, they already do this with liquid waste in space. See that guy over there? You’re drinking his pee.


37 posted on 01/31/2018 2:04:00 PM PST by real saxophonist ( YouTube + Twitter + Facebook = YouTwitFace.com)
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To: Red Badger

From PACKING FOR MARS, “astronauts are not going to fly back from Mars eating s**t sandwiches.”


38 posted on 01/31/2018 2:08:45 PM PST by bravo whiskey (Never bring a liberal gun law to a gun fight.)
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To: Red Badger

Thats the same as pate isn’t it?


39 posted on 01/31/2018 2:10:26 PM PST by antidemoncrat
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To: C19fan
So that what was the colorful food cubes the dispensers provided the crew of Star Trek:TOS.

To boldly go...

40 posted on 01/31/2018 2:11:30 PM PST by Charles Martel (Progressives are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
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