Astronauts Could One Day Eat Their Own Poop In Space ... Kind Of

If for whatever reason eating your own waste sounds appealing, NASA has good news for you. Researchers may have found a way to repurpose astronauts' poop into food.

A team from Penn State funded in part by NASA figured out how to quickly break down solid and liquid human waste using microbes. The resulting substance is a gooey paste like Vegemite, and it could be consumed or used to make food in space.

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Astronauts already drink water made from their own recycled urine, so converting poop into an edible substance may not come as a shock.

The researchers think this system could be beneficial for future long-term missions, like trips to Mars, which could take months or years. Packing food on board a spacecraft increases fuel costs, and growing it takes up valuable room.