Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

NASA Challenges High Schoolers to Make a Meal Fit for an Astronaut The second annual HUNCH Culinary Challenge asks teen chefs to cook up a dish to be served on the International Space Station.

By Nina Zipkin

The astronauts on board the International Space Station have been successful in their first attempts at growing food of their own, but as cool as red lettuce grown in space is, it's certainly not enough to make a delicious meal with. But an initiative from NASA's HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) program has the agency taking advice from some teenage culinary stars on how to spice up the ISS menu.

Through the HUNCH program, NASA partners with schools to provide students an opportunity to put their stamp on some of the products populating the ISS. For the HUNCH Culinary Challenge, 21 teams of high school chefs from around the United States are competing to create a recipe that will pass muster with a panel of discerning judges. The winning dish will be sent up to the ISS and served to astronauts.

Related: For the First Time Ever, NASA Astronauts Eat Vegetables Grown in Space

This year, the teams are being asked to make a vegetable entrée that will be both nutritious (300 to 500 calories, 300 mg max sodium per serving, 8 grams of sugar, 3 or more grams of fiber) and meet a couple of other key requirements -- namely, it has to "process well for flight and for use in microgravity." A couple of the teams recently got to have a preliminary taste test at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia with judges that included ISS alumni Charlie Camarda.

nasa-photo-culinary-student

Image credit: NASA/David C. Bowman

The contenders will ultimately be narrowed down to 10 finalists, who will head to the Johnson Space Center in Houston in April to make and serve their dish in the Center's Space Food Systems Laboratory.

Last year's Culinary Challenge winner, Jamaican rice and beans with coconut milk, was cooked up by five students from Phoebus High School in Hampton, Va. Their entrée will be making its way up to the ISS next month.

nasa-photo-culinary-student-judges

Image credit: NASA/David C. Bowman
Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Business News

These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey

The survey also found that having a side hustle doubled as a path to becoming more employable.

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Franchise

The McRib Is Back, But Only at Select McDonald's — Here's Where to Find It

This scarcity is nothing new. In 2022, McDonald's announced a "Farewell Tour" for the McRib, suggesting that it might be the last time customers could get their hands on it.