Asteroids for dinner? Scientists research using asteroid bacteria to make space food

Would you eat food made with asteroids?

Don't worry, we're not talking about a very crunchy bowl of cereal. Scientists have discovered a way to use materials found inside asteroids to make nutritional food.

The research is found in a new paper published in the International Journal of Astrobiology. Astrobiology is biology - the study of living things - done in space!

Let's clear things up - what is an asteroid?

There is an asteroid belt in our Solar System, which is full of lots of different types of asteroids floating alongside each other

Asteroid, meteor, meteorite - they're all different things found in space. Here's a quick fire definition for you:

An asteroid is a big chunk of rock that floats through space.

A meteoroid is a smaller piece of an asteroid that breaks off.

A meteor is a meteoroid that has come close to Earth and burnt up, leaving a trail through the sky. Meteoroid is the name for this trail.

Got it? Let's find out more about how astronauts could one day get their nutrients from asteroids.

The research

Mmm... yummy asteroid?

The research has been led by a scientist called Joshua Pearce. It says that the organic compounds inside of asteroids - which is basically different bits inside of it - can be used to make what he calls a 'biomass', which astronauts can eat.

Asteroids are full of different elements from across space, which makes them very precious and fascinating to research.

In the scientific paper, it explains that if we want to explore space as much as possible, we need to not be reliant on things sent from Earth. By using materials in an asteroid, it could make it easier for astronauts to make their own food.

Currently, when in space, astronauts eat food sent up from Earth, such as freeze-dried meals which can be hydrated or heated up.

However, some astronauts have grown food in space, such as chillies and lettuce.

Asteroids - the key to space secrets?

Last year, scientists took a sample from a huge asteroid called Asteroid Bennu, to learn more about space

Asteroids aren't just good for food too - they can help us learn more about where we came from in the universe.

Scientists have been studying samples from Asteroid Bennu, a huge asteroid that's bigger than the Empire State Building!

Pearce refers to Bennu in the research paper, explaining how much of the asteroid would be used to create the 'biomass' food.

Because asteroids come from deep in space, some of them have been floating around for a long time, containing rocks from many years ago.

By studying big asteroids, scientists hope they can learn more about the beginnings of our Solar System and its planets.

No time for waste in space!

When in space, astronauts have to eat pre-packaged 'space food'

Pearce's team has been busy studying asteroids for a while. He's already found a way to break down plastic using materials from inside an asteroid.

Using a chemical reaction, the asteroid materials could be used to get rid of plastic packaging used to take Earth food into space.

Space junk is a big debate amongst scientists. When astronauts head to space to learn more about the universe, it unfortunately creates a lot of waste.

There's also a lot of satellites flying around Earth that aren't being used anymore, as well as parts from previous rockets and landers.