3D Printed Sushi Could Be the Food of Choice for Space Travelers

Over the past few years, we have seen a number of applications for 3D printing in both food and space. Now, the two are getting combined. Engineers at IHI Aerospace and Yamagata University, in partnership with Nordson EFD Japan, have developed 3D printed sushi that they hope will be served to space tourists as they circle the plant in low Earth orbit.

It should come as no surprise that space tourism is a pricey endeavor. Current offerings range anywhere from $250,000 for a seat on a 90-minute flight to well over $20 billion. Why then should the food you eat not also be special? For IHI Aerospace and Yamagata University, 3D printed sushi was the answer, thanks to sushi’s mass popularity worldwide and 3D printing’s ability to reduce weight.

The prototype solution used to 3D print sushi

What Do We Know About the 3D Printed Sushi?

As mentioned, the idea to serve 3D printed sushi in orbit corresponds to the fact that every gram matters when you are in space. This also meant that it was necessary to look beyond the usual pillars of sushi making, including specialty chefs, sharp knives and many different kinds of fish and seafood. Rather, IHI Aerospace and Yamagata decided that the most important was to embrace the simplicity of sushi, focusing on fresh ingredients, balanced flavors and beautiful presentation. The solution was to create proteins in a paste.