Deep Space Food Challenge

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is seeking information through this Request for Information (RFI) for the Space Food System Challenge, a comprehensive competition focused on developing an integrated food production system capable of supporting Mars surface missions. The challenge targets the design of a complete food system that can sustain a crew of 10-15 people during a 5-year surface mission on Mars, incorporating advanced bioregenerative food production, controlled environment agriculture, nutrition center capabilities, and long-duration food storage systems. The competition will evaluate submissions based on six key criteria: system circularity, autonomy, safety, nutrition, acceptability, and reliability. Teams must demonstrate their ability to create a self-sustaining food ecosystem that can operate independently in the harsh Martian environment while maintaining crew health and morale. Responses to this RFI are due by 11:59 pm Central Time on July 30, 2025, and must be submitted electronically to HQ-STMD-CentennialChallenges@mail.nasa.gov.

This opportunity does not utilize any set-aside designations, making it open to all eligible participants. The competition is structured as a two-level challenge with a total prize purse of $250,000, which includes a $150,000 award for the overall winner and two $50,000 awards for runners-up. Level 1 will focus on architectural and system design, with up to 10 teams selected to present their concepts and 6 teams advancing to Level 2. Level 2 involves further refinement and development of the selected designs, allowing teams to enhance their proposals based on feedback and additional requirements. The challenge timeline spans from the current RFI phase through the two competition levels, with the ultimate goal of identifying innovative solutions that could revolutionize food systems for long-duration space missions.