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Fresh air
The air on the International Space Station (ISS) might get a whole lot fresher.
Astronauts are about to start testing a new device called "Photobioreactor," according to Space.com, which uses living algae to convert carbon dioxide to breathable oxygen and produce edible food.
Unlike Matt Damon, real astronauts can not live on potato shipments alone, so closed-loop systems that replenish spacecraft with essentials like air and food may be necessary for deep space missions.
Test Run
The bioreactor arrived at the ISS on Monday, and it will be used in a similar way that converges carbon dioxide to useable methane and water. The leftover carbon dioxide will be consumed by the algae, according to Space.com.
If all goes well, astronauts on future missions would get a better source of oxygen – the protein-rich algae could make up as much as 30 percent of an astronaut's diet.
"With the first demonstration of the hybrid approach," "Oliver Angerer, the German Scientist Leading the Project," said in a press release. "Of course, the use of these systems is primarily for planetary base stations or for very long missions. But these technologies will not be available when needed.
READ MORE: Algae 'Bioreactor' on Space Station Could Make Oxygen, Food for Astronauts[[Space.com]
More on space food: This Martian Greenhouse Concept Just Won has NASA Award
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