Eat Like a Martian
Sian Proctor |
TEDxTucsonSalon
• October 2018
If you were sent to Mars, what would you eat? Food consists of mostly water, and water is heavy. Dr. Sian Proctor explains what foods would remain nutritious and appetizing for astronauts living and working on Mars. Dr. Proctor is an analog astronaut, geoscientist with a passion for space exploration. She lived three space living simulations, 4-months in the Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), 2-weeks in the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), and 2-weeks in the LunAres Moon Habitat. When we solve issues dealing with space exploration, we also solve for issues on Earth. She is passionate about how we can more efficiently feed astronauts on Mars and humans on Earth. Food is a combination of nutrients and water. We can become more sustainable on Earth if we remove the water from food before we ship it around the world. Dr. Proctor is a geology, sustainability, and planetary science professor at South Mountain Community College, Phoenix, Arizona. She is the author of the upcoming cookbook Meals for Mars: www.meals4mars.com/.