Let’s Talk About Mars and Martian Cuisine

Published: American TurkNetwork Magazine, Washington DC, February 2026 , "CULINARY CHRONICLES"

NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture is moving forward. The dream is evolving into a long-term, challenging mission plan focused on how humans can live in one of the most extreme environments. NASA and the U.S. National Academies now view science as the driving force behind future crewed missions to Mars, shaping everything from landing sites to mission duration and the tools astronauts will need. On December 9, 2025, I attended an advisory event and heard the report's findings in person.

The committee presented a unified framework for how early crewed missions can deliver maximum scientific return while preparing for a sustained human presence on Mars. To build that roadmap, NASA asked the National Academies to convene a large group of experts to map out the most important science to be done with humans on the Martian surface. Panels focused on areas such as astrobiology (the search for life), atmospheric science and space physics, biological and physical sciences, human health, and geosciences. Working together, these groups laid out the major questions that form a roadmap for where astronauts are sent, what they work on, and the tools and food systems they will need to remain alive and effective.

The NASEM released its long anticipated consensus report, which identifies 11 science priorities that define the mission's structure and guide human exploration of Mars.

1. Search for Life: Determine whether evidence of existing or extinct life, the planet's habitability, or indigenous prebiotic chemistry can be found on Mars.

2. Water and CO₂ on Mars: Characterize the planet’s water and CO₂ cycles to understand how they may have evolved.

3. Mars Geology: Characterize and map the geological record to reveal Mars’ evolution.

4. Impact on Crew: Determine the effects of the Martian environment on crew, including physiological, cognitive, and emotional health, and on team dynamics.

5. Dust Storms: Determine what controls the onset and evolution of the major dust storms that make Mars’ atmosphere so variable.

6. Explore Resources: Characterize local resources that can be used for life support and other mission needs.

7. Effects on the Genome and Reproduction: Determine how the Martian environment affects reproduction and the genome across multiple generations in at least one plant and one animal species.

8. Understanding Microbes: Assess microbial species and determine whether they pose a hazard to astronaut health and performance.

9. Martian Dust: Characterize the effects of Martian dust on the human body and on hardware.

10. Plants and Animals in an Ecosystem: Determine the impact of the Martian environment on plant and animal physiology and development across multiple generations, as part of an integrated ecosystem of plants, microbes, and animals.

11. Radiation Sampling: Characterize radiation at key locations in the crew habitat and at astrobiological sampling sites, to contextualize sample collection and improve our estimates of risk to future missions.

At the advisory event, the committee explained that it also reviewed four Mars science campaigns and concluded that the most effective campaign was the top priority mission plan that can meet all the scientific goals outlined in the report. This plan includes a short 30 sol human stay on Mars, an uncrewed cargo mission, and then a much longer 300 sol crewed mission. all within a single exploration area about 100 kilometers wide, featuring ancient lava flows and frequent dust storms. This setup lets astronauts bring many instruments back to Earth and do detail lab work in a Mars habitat.

As research with economic value is always supported, this report seems to act as both a justification and a guideline, explaining why human exploration should take place on Mars.

Co chair and planetary scientist Lindy T. Elkins Tanton, principal investigator of NASA’s Psyche mission and director of the Space Sciences Laboratory at UC Berkeley, is a leading voice in the discussion. Her expertise in how rocky planets like Earth and Mars form and evolve provides crucial context for deciding where humans should land and what they should study first. The human performance in space topic was led by Dava J. Newman, a key voice in the discussion, director of the MIT Media Lab, astronautics professor at MIT, and former NASA Deputy Administrator. Known for her “second skin” BioSuit spacesuit, Newman’s multidisciplinary background in engineering, physiology, and policy directly shapes how future Mars missions might be designed.

Another NASA article published in 2023 highlights a different but closely related priority: ‘Designing a Deep Space Food System.’ A key part of keeping crews healthy, both physically and mentally, is creating food systems that can sustain people in extreme, isolated environments for months or even years.

“Eating healthy” in this context becomes a matter of survival, not just a lifestyle choice. Astronauts will live in small habitats, far from resupply, where every bit of food must be carefully planned, packed, or grown. Space food needs to last a long time, pack in good nutrition, be simple to prepare, and still taste good enough to keep people happy and healthy, even when they’re stressed and dealing with unusual gravity. I’ve gotten a glimpse of how that kind of big-picture planning connects to real research through my own participation in NASA’s citizen science projects, “Cloudspotting on Mars: Shapes.” Clouds are made of either water ice or carbon dioxide ice. These give us important information about Mars' cold atmosphere.

Therefore, I’m especially drawn to the practical side of future missions; how we’ll design food systems that keep crews strong, motivated, and safe so far from Earth. Through developing new education programs for the next generation and as a member of the National Capital Astronomers, I see groups like NCA as a great starting point for young stargazers, from beginners to people building their own telescopes. I care deeply about healthy cooking and food systems. I wear a few hats: chef, agricultural engineer, and board member of the American Culinary Federation–NCCA. Through that work, I hope to help open pathways for young gastronomy professionals who may one day join research teams working directly on what astronauts will actually eat and grow on Mars.

A lot of different long-established state, private, non-profit universities and research institutions are involved in this hot topic. The U.S. National Academies were founded in 1823, NASA was founded in 1958, the American Culinary Federation, was founded in 1929, and the National Capital Astronomers was founded in 1937. Americans work and dedication are ahead of those of other countries, and by drawing on the experience and knowledge of the people who carry the memory of these long standing institutions, one of our most important roles is to guide our children toward futures where they can help shape humanity’s next steps in space.

As we look toward a future where humans might cook, grow, and share meals on another world, the connection between space science and food becomes more than a technical problem; it becomes a cultural one. Food is memory, identity, and comfort. It’s how we celebrate, how we cope, and how we stay humanin unfamiliar places.  If we expect astronauts to thrive on Mars for 300 sols or more, we have to give them more than calories; we have to provide them with food that reminds them of home, while still embracing the creativity it takes to live on a new planet. 

That’s why the work happening today in NASA labs, culinary schools, agricultural research centers, and even classrooms matters so much. The next generation of chefs, engineers, and scientists will shape not just how we explore Mars, but how we taste it. They’ll design crops that can grow in low gravity, come up with recipes that use very little water and energy, and create flavors that lift people’s spirits during long, isolated missions. In a way, could the first real ‘Martian cuisine’ be imagined here on Earth?

Mars and Martian Cuisine

Dava Jean Newman is an American aerospace engineer. She is the former director of the MIT Media Lab and a former deputy administrator of NASA. Newman is the Apollo Program Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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