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 developed a unique nutrition solution.
SpaceABC was started as a family company. Founder Zsuzsanna Benyó’s son was interested in the space industry and wanted to become an astronaut. Since she was a dietitian then, she suddenly realized 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 further developed and became a breakthrough DNA and biomarkers-based personalized space nutrition program.
SpaceABC provides the solution for the urgent issue: what must an astronaut’s diet include to keep humans in space healthy and thus contribute to the success of space missions? They provide a personalized nutrition program developed specifically for space travelers using space-sustainable food sources. The nutrition program is based on the individuals’ gene analysis (nutrigenetics) and provided via a digital, AI-based algorithm.
“Our SpaceABC program is used in space analog missions. Scientists and engineers are already conducting space research under extreme circumstances, simulating space here on Earth. All space agencies and analog astronaut teams are eager to have a healthy nutrition and food program during their human-crewed missions,” – claims Zsuzsanna.
Zsuzsanna was a keynote speaker at the International Space Development Conference, where space food was a priority topic. They have even been awarded the annual Martine Rothblatt Space Settlement in Our Lifetime Prize. “The other winner was a moon farming solution – 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 also been selected by the European Space Agency and Design Terminal’s business incubation program. “With the support of ESA BIC Hungary, we have developed our minimum viable product.” When we ask her about the company’s future, she says, “We at SpaceABC are committed to establishing 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!”
SpaceABC recently secured experimental slots on MayaSat-1, a biological incubator cubesat designed by Genesis SFL specifically for space-based biological research in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with SpaceX Falcon9 and The Exploration Company’s Mission Possible reusable capsule. This mission will study how spaceflight conditions affect human DNA, focusing on nutrigenetics – the interaction between genes and nutrition.
As we are expecting the boom of space travel, and creating settlements on the Moon and Mars, the importance of personalized nutrition cannot be underestimated. SpaceABC’s innovations aren’t just about a diet for astronauts – they are about optimizing human health in a sustainable way for the challenges of becoming a multi-planetary species.
App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/hu/app/spaceabc-your-space-dietitian/id6443444577?l=hu
Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spaceabc.android&hl=en
Video: SpaceABC’s Space Mission https://youtu.be/0hnwymdyRD8
SpaceABC’s Genetic Experiment to LEO Aboard MayaSat-1: Pioneering Research for Space Food and Astronaut Health – A Step Toward Mission Possible https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/spaceabcs-genetic-experiment-leo-aboard-mayasat-1-pioneering-bhvwe/?trackingId=v5niCRRISz%2BB70dGXT1hHA%3D%3D