‘Yeast Survives Mars’ & ESA’s ‘Protein Out of Thin Air’: How Biology Is Rewriting the Mars Menu — and What It Means for Investors
Key facts: Europe’s HOBI‑WAN pilot is ESA’s clearest sign yet that microbial food production will be part of living off‑Earth. The agency says the demonstrator feeds a bacterial culture with stored gases to produce Solein, a protein‑rich powder that needs “neither farmland nor sunlight.” The ISS testbed will ride in a standard locker and includes safety‑critical gas‑injection cartridges because hydrogen/oxygen handling in microgravity must be fail‑safe. The first eight months build and validate a ground “science model,” then ESA aims to manufacture, test and launch a flight unit. European Space Agency
