ABSTRACT This study investigated innovations in health‐oriented space travel food to address the physiological and psychological nutritional challenges of long‐term missions. A mixed‐methods approach was employed: Study 1 comprised a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of 356 peer‐reviewed articles (1990–2025) from the Web of Science; Study 2 used focus groups followed by a three‐round Delphi technique to achieve consensus on future directions. The results demonstrate the urgent need for nutrient‐rich, space‐grown foods that improve nutrient absorption and palatability in microgravity, complemented by advanced technologies, including AI‐designed proteins (AlphaFold 3), 3D food printing, and bioregenerative life‐support systems. In conclusion, integrating bioregenerative systems with AI‐driven personalized nutrition offers a sustainable and resilient pathway for astronaut health in future deep‐space missions, although concerns regarding long‐term safety and allergenicity in synthetic biology warrant further rigorous testing of these technologies.
Peng et al. (2026) studied this question.