Get in touch

info [at] nonfiction.design
55 Grace Street, San Francisco, California

×

We make space food more appetizing.

A culinary lab for healthier, happier humans in space and on Earth.

Client:
NASA / CSA
space architecture
systems design
Food Design

MUNCH! SIZZLE! YUM! SNAP!

We are bringing a bit of humanity to space in our kitchen-style Space Culinary Lab. The Space Culinary Lab will enhance the existing, tried-and-true space food systems, like the rehydration of freeze-dried food. This gives astronauts the opportunity to mix and match system outputs and supplement meals in seemingly endless ways to nourish their bodies and souls.

Nonfiction's lab design was awarded recognition from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in the Deep Space Food Challenge.

The Lab’s compact, low-maintenance design requires relatively little material, water, energy, and human labor inputs. The results? Enhanced flavors, textures, and nutritional value that surprises, delights, and uplifts humans no matter where they are. It will provide the best of the human culinary experience while promoting health and wellbeing for long-duration astronauts, as well as people in food-challenged environments on Earth.

MUNCH! Growing, dehydrating and forming nutritious, fast growing microalgae into crunchy bite-sized snacks mixed with nuts and other ingredients will be a welcomed change from traditional snacks found in space and on planet Earth.

MUNCH is an algae snack system. It features a bioreactor that exposes micro-algae to ideal LED wavelengths. The algae is then harvested, dehydrated, and mixed with flavor enhancing additives. Supplementing an astronaut’s diet with nutrition-rich macro-algaes can have anti-cancer benefits, which is relevant since astronauts are routinely exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.

SIZZLE! A laser grill brings that primordial aspect of humanity into space. It is safe, flavorful and like a backyard BBQ, it builds community without toxic fossil fuels. Who doesn’t like tasty looking grilled marks on their food? For millennia, humans have enhanced food by grilling it. It looks appetizing, brings in a smoky flavor, and makes you want more.

Having astronauts eat enough to maintain their weight is a known problem, and having a barbecue onboard can help. Since open flames are not an option in space for safety reasons, we are proposing to use laser technology to create grill marks on various types of food. You could use this barbecue on anything that is solid, including proteins and sliced vegetables. Here, we are going to use the example of a piece of a boneless, skinless chicken thigh.

The anticipation of the perfect grill marks is part of the charm of barbecuing, so we would like for the process to take a few minutes, giving you time to prepare additional food. Once the grill marks are done, the astronaut opens the door, releases the chicken with the lever, and grabs their beautiful piece of barbecued meat. To clean up, a pre-soaked towel is used to wipe off marinade residue from the glass plates.

YUM! Astronauts whip up chocolate ganache, mayonnaise and many other creams using the emulsion system powered by an ultrasonic homogenizer, purpose-built for use aboard the spacecraft.

YUM is our creaming machine. Giving astronauts access to freshly whipped, unctuous creams to complement their food would be a game-changer. Unfortunately using an actual whip would be messy in a microgravity environment. Instead, we’re using a space emulsifier and reusable bags to mix water and oil-based ingredients and end up with delicious creams such as chocolate ganache or mayonnaise. The space emulsifier system includes an arm with a surgical steel probe, an ultrasonic transducer and a power supply.

SNAP! Hydroponically grown microgreens bring a little bit of planet Earth to the tastebuds and the psychology of the astronauts. Maintaining the hydroponic garden is essentially nurturing nature. It lowers blood pressure, stress levels and brings a sense of balance to the void of space. Closed loop hydroponics can help agriculturally challenged environments on the planet as well.

The takeaway of this project is:

With the Space Culinary Lab, we are expanding options in textures and flavors in the astronauts’ menu. By doing that, we can help them maintain their weight and health, which can be crucial to the success of long-term space missions.

Additionally, we can use these isolated systems to enhance options in food deserts all over planet Earth, such as communities that lack proper nutrition like refugee camps, or communities that solely depend on mother nature to provide them with food.

More news on the Space Culinary Lab:

TED talk: Gourmet food for the final frontier

CNN Taste testing the space food of the future

The Hustle: How to barbecue in outer space

AgriFundNews: Into space, the final frontier for agrifoodtech

NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge

MUNCH! SIZZLE! YUM! SNAP!

We are bringing a bit of humanity to space in our kitchen-style Space Culinary Lab. The Space Culinary Lab will enhance the existing, tried-and-true space food systems, like the rehydration of freeze-dried food. This gives astronauts the opportunity to mix and match system outputs and supplement meals in seemingly endless ways to nourish their bodies and souls.

Nonfiction's lab design was awarded recognition from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in the Deep Space Food Challenge.

The Lab’s compact, low-maintenance design requires relatively little material, water, energy, and human labor inputs. The results? Enhanced flavors, textures, and nutritional value that surprises, delights, and uplifts humans no matter where they are. It will provide the best of the human culinary experience while promoting health and wellbeing for long-duration astronauts, as well as people in food-challenged environments on Earth.

MUNCH! Growing, dehydrating and forming nutritious, fast growing microalgae into crunchy bite-sized snacks mixed with nuts and other ingredients will be a welcomed change from traditional snacks found in space and on planet Earth.

MUNCH is an algae snack system. It features a bioreactor that exposes micro-algae to ideal LED wavelengths. The algae is then harvested, dehydrated, and mixed with flavor enhancing additives. Supplementing an astronaut’s diet with nutrition-rich macro-algaes can have anti-cancer benefits, which is relevant since astronauts are routinely exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.

SIZZLE! A laser grill brings that primordial aspect of humanity into space. It is safe, flavorful and like a backyard BBQ, it builds community without toxic fossil fuels. Who doesn’t like tasty looking grilled marks on their food? For millennia, humans have enhanced food by grilling it. It looks appetizing, brings in a smoky flavor, and makes you want more.

Having astronauts eat enough to maintain their weight is a known problem, and having a barbecue onboard can help. Since open flames are not an option in space for safety reasons, we are proposing to use laser technology to create grill marks on various types of food. You could use this barbecue on anything that is solid, including proteins and sliced vegetables. Here, we are going to use the example of a piece of a boneless, skinless chicken thigh.

The anticipation of the perfect grill marks is part of the charm of barbecuing, so we would like for the process to take a few minutes, giving you time to prepare additional food. Once the grill marks are done, the astronaut opens the door, releases the chicken with the lever, and grabs their beautiful piece of barbecued meat. To clean up, a pre-soaked towel is used to wipe off marinade residue from the glass plates.

YUM! Astronauts whip up chocolate ganache, mayonnaise and many other creams using the emulsion system powered by an ultrasonic homogenizer, purpose-built for use aboard the spacecraft.

YUM is our creaming machine. Giving astronauts access to freshly whipped, unctuous creams to complement their food would be a game-changer. Unfortunately using an actual whip would be messy in a microgravity environment. Instead, we’re using a space emulsifier and reusable bags to mix water and oil-based ingredients and end up with delicious creams such as chocolate ganache or mayonnaise. The space emulsifier system includes an arm with a surgical steel probe, an ultrasonic transducer and a power supply.

SNAP! Hydroponically grown microgreens bring a little bit of planet Earth to the tastebuds and the psychology of the astronauts. Maintaining the hydroponic garden is essentially nurturing nature. It lowers blood pressure, stress levels and brings a sense of balance to the void of space. Closed loop hydroponics can help agriculturally challenged environments on the planet as well.

The takeaway of this project is:

With the Space Culinary Lab, we are expanding options in textures and flavors in the astronauts’ menu. By doing that, we can help them maintain their weight and health, which can be crucial to the success of long-term space missions.

Additionally, we can use these isolated systems to enhance options in food deserts all over planet Earth, such as communities that lack proper nutrition like refugee camps, or communities that solely depend on mother nature to provide them with food.

More news on the Space Culinary Lab:

TED talk: Gourmet food for the final frontier

CNN Taste testing the space food of the future

The Hustle: How to barbecue in outer space

AgriFundNews: Into space, the final frontier for agrifoodtech

NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge

read more

Circular Economy

What do hardware products look like in a circular economy? How do we get there?

Designing For the Planet

Why are we talking about "sustainability" when we should be advocating for "regeneration".

Future of Humans

How will humans thrive when the Earth's population hits 10 billion people?

Thriving Humans

Let's discuss the tools and philosophies that help us design for thriving humans.

Design for Disability

What does it mean to design for disability, and how it benefits all of us.

Design for Humanity

Designing for longevity, health, wellness, comfort, and equality to server humanity.

Air, Water and Food

What are the necessary ingredients to sustain the ever-growing population on planet Earth?

Design for Impact

The power of design can positively impact humans and the environment.

What We Do at Nonfiction

We merge science, technology, business, art, and design to create a better future.

The Future of Food

Revolutionary food tech has shaped our society and can save communities in extreme environments.

Hydroponics

Hydroponics can grow delicious food, save water, topsoil and space – and even remove toxins.

Material Libraries

Our in-house Material ConneXion library gives us first hand experience with material properties.

Material Storytelling

At Nonfiction, we use materials to tell creative and engaging product stories.

How Design Can Help

We think about design, business, market adoption and more to create market-leading products.

Ergonomic Design

Ergonomic design is more than comfort. It empowers people through safe and familiar interactions.

Color on the Moon

What will space look like when humans become an interplanetary species.

The Right Questions

Six questions that guide our decision making and lead to innovative solutions.

Fast, Cheap & High Quality

You can have fast, cheap or high quality, but not all three.

Future of Business Class

Transforming business class so it is more aligned with how people do business today.

Productive Leadership

What attitudes and behaviors make up a productive leader?

Hyperproductivity

The hyperproductive attitudes, behaviors, and habits we use at Nonfiction for life balance.

The Future of Space

Human flourishing and the outer space are intimately connected and we're gonna look at how.

Non-Toxicity & Sustainability

Moving toward a non-toxic future with seaweed plastics, sustainable business models and more!

Advocating for Sustainable Brands

Design and sustainability go hand in hand, and must be integrated into every aspect of a product.

Finishes

Finishes impact how people experience products, from brand connection to emotional reaction.

Seduction & Sustainability of Finishes

At Nonfiction, we select product finishes that connect to users emotionally and are sustainable.

Materials

Considering materials, use and human experience when designing products for manufacturing.

The Sustainability of Materials

Phnam and Mardis Bagley share creative behavior changes we can adopt to mitigate harm to the planet.

Color

Color as storytelling is a powerful tool. It can impact moods, behaviors, and more.

Culture & Psychology of Color

See the fascinating ways that color can elicit emotions, and how we use color to express ourselves.

The Science of Color

We explore the science of color, its interpretation and more to create brand stories.

Logic, Experience, Intuition

We use Logic, Experience and Intuition to make leaps in innovation quickly and in unexpected ways.

Conceptual Design

Conceptual design is where world changing ideas start. Take a peek into our methodologies.

Transformational Technologies

Transformational technologies are the future of human flourishing.

Evolution vs. Revolution

Is your product an evolution of an existing design, or a complete industry revolution?

Design for Manufacturing

Understanding Design for Manufacturing is key to maintaining design intent in mass production.

Who do We Design for?

It is the designer's imperative to understand the needs of users and other stakeholders.

Natural Design

So many devices today are not inline with the human experience.

The future of Work

Did you know that 65% of the jobs kids of today will have in the future...

The Future of Education

What do successful children of tomorrow need today?

Sustainability: Beware of fake eco-friendly products!

Design for disassembly, monstrous hybrids, innovative new materials, and faux environmental products

Agile Hardware

Agile vs. Waterfall. The many advantages in turning industrial design into an agile methodology.

The Cost Of Design

Good hardware design requires experienced professionals to manage the true costs.

The Future of Airlines: Pleasure in flight

Tired of being treated like cattle? We are. What if we celebrated the journey?

The Future of Airlines: Hygiene in a post-COVID world

Flying in a post-COVID world considers hygiene, HCI, hospitality and efficiency.