Leonardo DiCaprio-backed Israeli firm is growing meat on ISS thanks to Axiom astronauts

The first all-private crew of Axiom Space astronauts has made it to the International Space Station (ISS) after almost a day-long journey. The crew of four astronauts of the Axiom-1 (Ax-1) mission will spend a total of eight days aboard the orbiting laboratory and will conduct a number of science experiments ranging from testing detergents in space to research on cancer. Another exciting experiment the astronauts would be conducting is growing meat in space, which would ultimately ensure food security for space travellers eventually heading for the Moon and Mars. 

Axiom Space’s mission with NASA sent Larry Connor, Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy along with ex-NASA astronaut and Axiom Vice President Michael Lopez-Alegria to the ISS on April 8. 

Leonardo DiCaprio-backed Aleph Farms make big leap

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launched the Ax-1 crew in the Endeavour capsule, also launched a cultivated meat experiment by Israel-based firm Aleph Farms. Interestingly, Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio became an investor in the company and a member of its Sustainability Board in 2021. DiCaprio, who is also known for his environmental efforts, had said, "Aleph's extraordinary technology platform combined with their inclusive approach to bringing about systemic change in our food systems make them a leader in this field".

The concept of cultivated meat is intended to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. According to Aleph Farms, cultivated meat has the potential of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 92%, land use by 95%, and water use by 78% as compared to conventional intensive livestock farming. 

Growing meat aboard the ISS

Notably, this is not the first time the Israeli company would be producing meat in space. Aleph Farms had grown the world's first 3D-bioprinted ribeye steak in 2019. This was followed by the company producing artificial meat in space for the first time in September of the same year. In an interview with Daily Mail, Dr. Zvika Tamari, head of space research at Aleph Farms, revealed the two main goals of the company-- providing steak for long-distance space travellers and developing a low-cost market on Earth. 

Explaining the process of artificial meat production, Tamari said that scientists begin with bovine cells which are then placed into bioreactors for the multiplication and diversification of the cellular mass. "This then turns them into various cell types that exist in steak, which is muscle cells primarily, adipose or fat cells and collagen cells, which are very elastic. So we take the cells that we grow and make them into tissue that resembles the steak you eat regularly. And that is what we're going to do on the ISS", Tamari told Daily Mail. 

Tamari believes that the success of technology would eliminate the widescale usage and wastage of resources. This would also allow astronauts to grow their own steak, thus ensuring food security.