NPR

Making Space Food With Space Poop

One of the difficult aspects of getting humans to Mars is the need to bring food. Researchers are experimenting with a way to make edible "microbial goo" with help from human waste.
A "space toilet" on display at Miraikan, The Emerging Museum of Science and Innovation in Tokyo, Japan in 2008.

Humans have wanted to go to Mars for a long time. NASA says it wants to send people there by the 2030s, while private companies like SpaceX have proposed building colonies on the Red Planet.

There are, of course, a lot of kinks that have to be worked out for

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Tyla Is The New Face Of African Pop. She's Aiming To Take Over The Whole World
The South African singer brought a homegrown genre, amapiano, to new ears with a viral hit and a Grammy. With her debut album, she wants to prove the world is ready for a full-blown African pop star.
NPR6 min read
Can Grief Make Us Accident-prone? A Writer Learns How It Destabilizes And Remakes Us
After a fall near the first anniversary of her beloved aunt's death, a writer explored why grief can make us less sure-footed. She found answers, climbing a precarious staircase in Italy.
NPR5 min read
Why A Town On The Front Line Of America's Energy Transition Isn't Letting Go Of Coal
Kemmerer, Wyo., is on the front line of America's energy transition, with its coal plant slated to close and a nuclear plant in the works. But some think the rush to quit fossil fuels is impractical.

Related