ESA's HOBI-WAN Project: Bacterial Powder to Nourish Space Explorers

The European Space Agencys HOBI-WAN project aims to utilize Hydrogen oxidizing bacteria to create a protein-rich powder for sustaining astronauts during long space missions in weightlessness.

• The European Space Agency is developing HOBI-WAN, an initiative focused on using Hydrogen oxidizing bacteria for nutrition in weightlessness during extended lunar and Martian missions.
• Solein, a protein-rich powder produced by Finnish company Solar Foods, will serve as a key nutritional source for astronauts on the International Space Station and beyond.
• Fermentation processes are utilized in HOBI-WAN to convert Hydrogen into edible protein, addressing the challenges of sustaining astronauts during future deep-space exploration.