This article first appeared on How We Get to Next

An excerpt from Could 3D-printing Food in Space Make Mars Travel Possible?

…Back scratchers, spare parts and disaster-averting fixes aside, 3D printing could actually realistically enable a trip to Mars. Contractor and his colleagues first became involved in NASA’s Martian quest when the organization put out a call for proposals asking for new methods of producing food in space. Current food sources last for about 35 months, Contractor explained. “Just orbiting Mars and coming back takes five years. So food is a big problem.”

The dehydrated and deconstructed powdered food pods Contractor’s 3D printer uses could last decades. Anything that could spoil the food is removed, including oils and acids; what remains is powdered and each constituent is packaged separately. At mealtime, the parts are reintroduced, forming a paste that squeezes through the printing head onto a plate. Dinner is served…