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High-antioxidant, blueberry-based gel-like products were developed using High Pressure Processing (HPP) as a potential nutritionally enhanced food product for space flight. Fruit-starch suspensions (30% tapioca starch / blueberry juice or blueberry puree) were treated with HPP (600 - 800 MPa, 30-80 °C, 10-30 min) to produce “fruit-gels” that were then analyzed for their physico-chemical and structural properties as well as for their total antioxidant capacity (TAC). A thermally induced “fruit-gel” (30% starch/juice; 90°C, 20 min) was used as a control. HPP-“fruit-gels” developed were overall highly acceptable. No significant difference between HPP-“fruit gels” and the control were found in water activity, moisture and “freezable” water content. Amylopectin retrogradation was less significant in the HPP-“fruit-gels”, suggesting higher stability and longer shelf-life of this product than the control.

A Bioregenerative Planetary Life Support Test Complex, BIO-Plex, is currently being constructed at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX. This facility will attempt to answer the questions involved in assembling a lunar or planetary base. Long duration space missions require development of both a Transit Food System and a Lunar or Planetary Food System. These two systems are intrinsically different since the first one will be utilized in the transit vehicle in microgravity conditions while the second will be used in conditions of partial gravity (hypogravity). The Transit Food System will consist of prepackaged food with an extended shelf life of 3–5 years. It will be supplemented with salad crops that will be consumed fresh. The Lunar or Planetary Food System will allow for food processing of crops in the presence of some gravitational force (1/6 to 1/3 that of Earth).

In preparation for future planetary exploration, the Bioregenerative Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex (BIO-Plex) is currently being built at the NASA Johnson Space Center. The BIO-Plex facility will allow for closed chamber Earth-based tests. Various prepackaged food systems are being considered for the first 120-day BIO-Plex test. These food systems will be based on the Shuttle Training Menu and the International Space Station (ISS) Assembly Complete food systems. This paper evaluates several prepackaged food system options for the surface portion of an early Mars mission, based on plans for the first BIO-Plex test. The five systems considered are listed in Table 1. The food system options are assessed using equivalent system mass (ESM), which evaluates each option based upon the mass, volume, power, cooling and crewtime requirements.