The design of lunar and Martian bases requires a habitable system capable of behaving like a living organism, completely self-sufficient with respect to the Earth’s supply, especially in terms of non-renewable resources and logistical support, an autonomous system made up of living cells and service modules that produces energy, air, water, food and completely recycles waste.

The base on the Moon will serve as a testing ground and experiment to overcome this challenge and move on to Mars. Initially, it will be crucial to recreate a complete cycle of food cultivation, preparation, consumption and storage to enable astronauts to survive.

Microalgae are seen as the food of the future because they are high in protein and very hardy. Several projects for interplanetary missions are investigating production processes to optimise their growth.

The aim of the Moon Kit is to provide the first group of astronauts arriving at the lunar base with the tools they need to start growing and processing microalgae. They will be able to use them as a supplement to their diet or as a source of food in an emergency.

The basic idea is inspired by the “Razione K” provided to Italian soldiers on missions, in which they could find everything they needed to cook and eat their meals for the day. The style of the product is minimalist and reminiscent of the 1970s, inspired by the first lunar missions. It consists of a photobioreactor to keep the microalgae alive, and other stackable and foldable components that take up little space to make transport from Earth to the Moon lighter and easier.

In the near future, it will be possible to co-design the kit items directly with astronauts on the Moon to make microalgae production more efficient and the kit items more practical.

This project has very interesting prospects for implementation and development. It could be used in “analogue” environments for astronaut training or, with appropriate modifications, in education as a classroom object to bring students closer to space and immerse them in the world of astronauts.