Why must weight and volume be fiercely competing factors when launching space food?
Answer
Every ounce launched into orbit carries an enormous price tag
The logistics of space travel impose severe constraints on payload mass, meaning that every single ounce launched into orbit incurs an enormous financial cost. Consequently, food must be chosen based on efficiency, requiring high nutrient density relative to its weight and volume. This economic reality drives the scientific investigation toward sources like Spirulina, which can provide substantial nutrition in a lightweight, dehydrated form, thus drastically cutting the necessary resupply mass over multi-year missions compared to bulkier, less efficient staples.
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