Spacefood: Launching the Future of Nutrition for Space Exploration

Headquartered in Bremen, the City of Aerospace, Spacefood is an innovative startup revolutionising how we think about nutrition in space and extreme conditions on Earth. Specialising in the research, development, production, and distribution of healthy dried foods, Spacefood is driven by a mission to create nutritious, sustainable food solutions that cater to both astronauts and everyday consumers. The company, led by founder Evgeny Onutchin, has rapidly gained recognition for its pioneering approach, blending space technology with everyday food products.

As one of the latest startups accepted into ESA BIC Northern Germany, Spacefood benefits from crucial financial support, expert guidance, and vital industry connections. By fusing their passion for space with practical food solutions, SpaceFood is laying the groundwork for the future of nutrition in extreme environments.

From Childhood Dreams to Space Industry Innovation

Evgeny’s journey to founding Spacefood began long before the company was officially established in Jan 2023. As a child, he harboured dreams of owning his own spaceship and travelling to space.

“Since I was 11 or 12, I’ve always wanted to go to space,” he recalls.

However, as a professional product designer, breaking into the space industry was anything but straightforward. For years, Evgeny sought different ways to incorporate his passion for space into his career, and eventually, he found the perfect combination: merging his love of design with his enthusiasm for dried fruits.

Spacefood started as a design project and market research, focused on creating attractive packaging for dried fruit products and exploring the business opportunities. When Evgeny presented these products at events and festivals, including the Space Tech Expo 2022, he received an overwhelming response. “Our booth was one of the busiest, and we were the only ones talking about food in space,” Evgeny notes, realising that there was a genuine demand for innovative food solutions tailored to the unique challenges of space travel.

Some of Spacefood variety: Melon wedges and dried plum. Credit: Spacefood UG

Why Spacefood? Tackling a Key Space Exploration Challenge

Space travel presents numerous challenges, but one of the most significant is food. While air and water can be recycled during long-term missions, food remains the limiting factor. Spacefood aims to address this by developing not only space-ready products but also the knowledge necessary to preserve foods that astronauts may grow during missions.

“Our challenge is to provide safe, nutritious, and long-lasting food options for astronauts in space and individuals in extreme conditions on Earth,” Evgeny explains.

Spacefood focuses on preserving the original nutritional values, aroma, and authentic taste of sourced foods, all without the use of additives. Their methods ensure that the food remains safe and nutritious while extending its shelf life, making it ideal for both space travel and harsh environments on Earth.

“The only limiting factor for humans travelling far into space is having enough food with you,” Evgeny points out. Spacefood aims to create products that won’t crumble, create mess, or leave stains—essential features for zero-gravity environments. Conventional drying techniques are employed to maintain the energy and nutritional value of the food, with the long-term goal of helping future space missions preserve the foods they harvest in space.

CEO Evgeny at Space Tech Expo Photo credit: Aviaspace Bremen ©2024

Turning Passion into Practicality

Spacefood was never just about packaging or products—it was about building a sustainable future for space travel. After their successful appearance at Space Tech Expo, Evgeny realised the potential of the project and the need to move beyond the initial design phase. “The food is there, but what we are really bringing is the know-how of how to preserve it for space missions,” he explains.

The company is currently focused on perfecting their dried food products, ensuring they can withstand the rigours of space travel. Their long-term goal is to send their products to the International Space Station (ISS) and future space stations to see how they perform under the unique conditions of space.

In addition to developing space-ready food, Spacefood is committed to researching the entire life cycle of food in space, from consumption to waste management. Evgeny explains that they are developing automated devices that will help preserve food during long-duration missions, ensuring a sustainable food supply for astronauts as they venture further into space.

A Team with Complementary Skills: Bringing the Vision to Life

Spacefood is driven by a diverse and skilled team, each of whom brings a unique set of expertise. Evgeny, with his background in design, is the visionary behind the brand and leads the development of the product and the company’s overall design and investor relations. Co-founder Till Mieskes, with extensive experience in the medical and financial sectors, handles the company’s finances and overall operations.

“Till and I have known each other for some time and worked together in the past. He brought the opportunity to use a production line he co-owned, and that’s how I was able to develop and optimise our first batch of samples,” Evgeny explains, emphasising the importance of their collaboration. The team’s third co-founder, Julia Kovolenko, brings expertise from medical field, particularly in understanding how food impacts health, and she oversees operations and logistics. Together, they form a well-rounded team that drives the business forward with creativity, financial management, and nutritional expertise.

Breaking Into the Space Industry with ESA BIC Northern Germany

Securing a place in ESA BIC Northern Germany was a pivotal moment for team. The European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Centre (BIC) supports startups like SpaceFood with funding, technical expertise, and invaluable networking opportunities.

Evgeny recalls how they first heard of ESA BIC: “We found out about ESA through networking events and applied for the ESA BIC Northern Germany programme. The support and guidance we received throughout the application process were excellent.” The incubation programme, which operates in Bremen—one of Europe’s key hubs for the aeronautics and space industry —has provided SpaceFood with essential funding and legitimacy in the industry. “Funding is like air for a startup. If you don’t have it, you can’t move forward,” Evgeny says.

Beyond financial support, ESA BIC Northern Germany provides SpaceFood with credibility and access to a network of industry experts. With the ESA logo displayed on their website, the company enjoys greater trust from potential partners and investors. “ESA gives us credibility as a real space tech business,” Evgeny explains. “It makes people more willing to work with us.”

Looking to the Future: Sending Food to Space

SpaceFood has a clear objective: to send their products to space. “After securing ESA backing, our next goal is to send our food to space. It’s not a question of how, but when,” Evgeny asserts. The company is working diligently to ensure their products meet the stringent requirements needed for space travel.

Spacefood envisions a future where their products are not only supporting astronauts on the ISS but are also being used on future space stations, moon bases, and Mars colonies. “We want to be the go-to company for dried plant-based foods in space,” Evgeny explains. Despite their ambition, the company does not aim to become a massive global corporation but rather to build a mid-sized business known for producing high-quality, affordable products.

Bridging the Gap Between Earth and Space

By bridging the gap between everyday consumer goods and space-ready solutions, SpaceFood is carving out a unique niche. “We don’t want to just be another food company,” Evgeny says. “We want to bring the future of space exploration into people’s daily lives.”

As Spacefood continues to develop its nutritious dried foods, the company remains dedicated to creating products suitable for both the aerospace industry and extreme conditions on Earth. Their mission is clear: to provide safe, nutritious, and long-lasting food options—whether for astronauts travelling through space or individuals in challenging environments on Earth. SpaceFood’s methods preserve the original nutritional values, aroma, and taste of the food while ensuring an extended shelf life, making it an essential resource for long-duration missions and extreme conditions.

The Road Ahead: Pioneering the Future of Space Nutrition

As Spacefood continues its journey within ESA BIC Northern Germany, the company remains focused on refining its products and exploring new growth opportunities. Whether it’s sending food to the ISS or developing advanced food preservation technologies, SpaceFood is ready to make a lasting impact on the space industry.

Their vision extends beyond simply producing food for astronauts. SpaceFood is committed to pioneering the future of food preservation in space, ensuring that long-term space missions can be sustainable.

With its roots firmly established in Bremen, the City of Space, and with the support of ESA BIC Northern Germany, SpaceFood is poised to take the next big step—into space, and beyond.

More information: https://www.getspacefood.com/de

About ESA BIC Northern Germany

The Incubation Centre of the European Space Agency in Northern Germany (ESA BIC Northern Germany) is headquartered jointly with the Bremen aeronautics and space industries association at the Bremer Innovations- und Technologiezentrum BITZ as well as the Digihub Industry – two of the largest innovation and technology centres for high-tech companies and startups in the German federal state of Bremen. The ESA BIC Northern Germany brings new startup opportunities to the region and thus strengthens the aeronautics and space sector in the German federal state of Bremen. AVIASPACE BREMEN e.V. supports the incubatees with its network, public relations work and targeted coaching not only during the incubation period, but also afterwards as alumni. STARTHAUS Bremen & Bremerhaven is the central point of contact in the Bremen startup ecosystem and supports the startups on all issues relating to business development and financing. The ESA BIC Northern Germany is managed by Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO), an international networking and branding company for the European space programmes that also manages ESA BIC Bavaria with three locations in southern Germany.

Since 2021, ESA BIC Northern Germany has also been offering its service to space-related startups in Schleswig-Holstein. The Technikzentrum Lübeck with GATEWAY49, AviaSpace Bremen and AZO jointly operate this extension of ESA BIC Northern Germany. As of June 2024, ESA BIC Northern Germany also offers its services to space-related startups in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The Innovation Port Wismar with AviaSpace Bremen and AZO jointly operate this extension of ESA BIC Northern Germany. There are also plans to extend ESA BIC Northern Germany to the northern German federal states of Hamburg, Lower Saxony, and Berlin-Brandenburg.

Technical support of the ESA BIC Northern Germany, is offered by Fraunhofer IFAM, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence DFKI, DLR-RY Institute for Space Systems, Alfred-Wegener Institute for Polar Research AWI, Universities in the State of Bremen incl. many institutes such as IUP Institute for Environmental Physics, Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity ZARM, TH Lübeck, University Lübeck,  Life Science Nord, Airbus Group, ArianeGroup, AES Aircraft Elektro/Elektronik System, Dräger, DSI Aerospace, Possehl, and OHB.