From Production to Food Systems: A Systems-Level Review of Drivers, Requirements, and Integration for Lunar and Martian Food Systems

Abstract

Long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, which involve a constant human presence on the surface require food systems that extend beyond current strategies based on pre-packaged provisions. These missions demand sustainable, robust, and autonomous food production systems that integrate production, processing, storage, consumption, and resource recovery within tightly constrained and closed-loop environments. This paper adopts a systems perspective to address the development of such food systems, identifying key drivers, including nutritional, psychological, environmental, economic, and regulatory factors, and proposes evaluation metrics and requirements to guide design and integration. Recognizing food systems as socio-ecological constructs, the paper emphasizes the importance of interactions across multiple food system elements (e.g., production, waste management, preparation, socio-cultural factors) and temporal, spatial and governance scales. The study outlines critical attributes such as adaptability, resilience, and self-organization, then highlights the need for system-level validation through iterative ground testing. By grounding space food system development in a systems-level approach, this paper aims to start the discussion to create a strategic foundation for achieving operational food security on future deep space missions.