Did you know that in space the risk of getting cancer is 11 times higher? To tackle the challenges of eating healthy in the universe, Hungarian start-up SpaceABC came up with a unique nutrition solution.
SpaceABC was started as a family company. Founder Zsuzsanna Benyó’s son was not just interested in the space industry, but also wanted to become an astronaut. Since she was a dietitian at the time, she suddenly realised that they could join forces: they created a space diet plan for the National Space Society’s Health and Diet contest in 2021 and won the 1st prize. This method was then further developed and became a breakthrough DNA and biomarkers based personalised space nutrition programme.
SpaceABC provides the solution for the urgent issue: what must an astronaut diet include to keep humans in space healthy and thus contribute to the success of space missions. They provide a personalised nutrition programme developed specifically for space travelers and with the usage of space-sustainable food sources. The nutrition programme is based on the individuals’ gene analysis (nutrigenetics) and provided via a digital, AI-based algorithm.
“We are planning to introduce our method in an analog environment this year. There are already scientists and engineers conducting space research under extreme circumstances, where they simulate space here on Earth. All space agencies and analog astronaut teams are eager to have a healthy nutrition and food programme during their manned missions” – claims Zsuzsanna.
Zsuzsanna was a keynote speaker on the International Space Development Conference, where space food was a priority topic. They have been awarded even by the annual Martine Rothblatt Space Settlement in Our Lifetime Prize. “The other winner was a moon farming solution – and that’s a proof of food and nutrition solutions playing a key role not only on Earth, but also in space.” As another recognition, SpaceABC was invited to the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to deliver an interactive paper.
SpaceABC has been selected also by the business incubation programme of the European Space Agency and Design Terminal. “With the support of ESA BIC Hungary we are currently in the final stage of developing our minimum viable product.” When we ask her about the future of the company, she goes on: “We at SpaceABC are committed to establish a space-nutrition system mitigating disease risks both in space and on Earth, with the vision of a world of multiplanetary humans with healthy longevity!”
