OA, which develops space stations with both work and recreational space, will install Micro Meat’s equipment on a planned Pioneer-class station. OA hopes cultivated meat can help offset the massive costs associated with launching goods into space. Sending one pound of goods into orbit can cost $10,000.
“We could produce fresh meat in space at a much lower cost than flying prepared food there because meat is mostly water, and we can easily reclaim the water in space,” says Micro Meat co-founder and COO Vincent Pribble. “So, when you look at the price of launching all that water from Earth to orbit, it’s just not cost-effective.”
Micro Meat also hopes data from the space trials will help it optimize its systems on Earth, according to Green Queen. “Our scaffolding technology is a game-changer,” says Micro Meat co-founder and CEO Anne-Sophie Mertgen. “It’s going to allow a level of scaling in cultivated meat production unlike anything that currently exists. In three years, our goal is to be producing a ton of meat in 30 days on earth. We know we can get there with our design. This new partnership with OA in space will help us get there faster.”