Eating sushi in space?
Eating sushi in space? Professor Hidemitsu Furukawa of the Yamagata University Graduate School of Science and Engineering and his colleagues are working on a food project using 3D food printing technology to realize this unique idea. They are developing a device that can operate in a weightless environment, opening up new prospects for eating in space. The device must also be made smaller to be installed on a spacecraft. The future goal is to create a device the size of a lunch box.
Japan, March 29, 2024 - "We are about to enter an era in which humans will be able to travel through space. If we are going to travel for a long time, we will have to think about what we will do with our food," Professor Furukawa said about his approach to developing a 3D food printer for space. Furukawa Laboratory creates various soft items using 3D gel printers with soft materials such as gel. Full-scale attempts to create space food using 3D food printers are said to have begun around 2019.
At that time, he came into contact with IHI Aerospace (Koto Ward, Tokyo) through interactions with the Food Tech Study Group, an initiative by a young volunteer team from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry to incorporate innovative technology into the world of food. Therefore, the Furukawa Laboratory began collaborating with the company in 2021 on a food project for space using 3D food printer technology.
Looking ahead to the era of space travel, this is an example of IHI Aerospace’s nascent efforts. The project continues as an after-school "club activity" that utilizes the company’s "discontinuous research" system. The company’s production center, which works with the company, is looking to the future, saying, "We want to make it possible to eat delicious food even in space. This is a forward-looking initiative." (Production Technology Group)
As part of their joint research efforts, they exhibited a food printer for space at the Japan Mobility Show held at Tokyo Big Sight in 2023. With the concept of transmitting sushi to space, they are collaborating with kamaboko manufacturers and others. Sushi was printed using a 3D food printer using an inkjet head.
Yamagata University has developed a variety of 3D food printers, including screw-type, laser bathtub-type, and laser powder-type. At present, in a weightless environment, the emphasis is on a method in which paste-like ingredients are hit from above with a nozzle, rather than stacking the shaped objects (food) from below.
There are many issues involved in making sushi in space, such as conducting demonstration tests in space and developing ingredients, which cannot be understood until you try it. Professor Furukawa said, "Technologically, it is possible to create food in space. We would like to hone the technology that allows us to select the best method for modeling and work with various parties to prepare for food development and other preparation on Earth."
The company is also considering efforts to downsize the current desktop-sized device. They envision a device with a 3D food printer built into a handheld lunchbox. Professor Furukawa states that "miniaturization is essential in space" and is also exploring new collaborations.
