NASA awarded $125,000 to a team of scientists for the development of a food synthesizer capable of 3D printing pizza and other foods from space. They hope that the technology will be able to allow astronauts on longer space missions, such those to Mars or other locations farther away from Earth, to eat.
BeeHex, an American company, has already built a prototype for the technology. The machine can produce pizza dough and toppings within minutes. It costs about $10,000 to build. According to the company, it's faster than a person and consumes less energy than traditional ovens.
Quartz claims that the first version of this printer was a six month project that was funded through a Small Business Innovation Research Grant (SBIR) from NASA. It was meant to be used to make long-term space flights such as a mission, Quartz says. But Congressional budget cuts forced the agency to cancel some of its auxiliary projects, including work on the 3D printer.
The team decided to make technology more accessible to everyone. This decision led them to open BeeHex, a new business in 2015. The company's ultimate goal is for their food printers to be used at sporting events and theme park to deliver personalized, on the-demand pizzas.
BeeHex will be able to print customized sandwiches, salads, and breakfast bars for every customer, in addition to pizzas. The system would then allow the food to be dispensed and heated in a commercial oven.
This technology could be used to save astronauts from having to eat frozen, pre-packed "space food" all day. It could also cut waste and reduce the environmental impact from a trip to outer space.
What's more, BeeHex says it's already working on ways to repurpose the technology so that restaurants can use it for baked goods, too. The company is working on a machine that can print many types of dough, sauces and cheese simultaneously.
The technology may be a game-changer for pizza lovers, as well as those who don’t love it. Investors took an interest in the company's potential as a world leader in food printing.
Quartz heard from one investor that "Pizza is a good product to get started with this technology because it's so easy to make and store." That makes it a perfect fit for a vending machine, which could be useful for retailers or restaurants who want to have pizza on hand at their locations. This machine is ideal for amusement park and festival venues, where there are often limited spaces and the need to provide food quickly.
This technology is still years away, but it looks promising. 3D printed food is an alternative to traditional cooking and can be made with the right ingredients. It's also very eco-friendly, and can be easily modified to meet the needs and preferences of vegans and vegetarians.