KBR planning a food lab for NASA and commercial astronauts at Exploration Park in Houston

KBR, which has a contract to feed astronauts on the International Space Station, will open a 45,000-square-foot food lab at NASA’s Exploration Park, a hub for commercial space companies, researchers and manufacturers. 

The food lab, which would create food for astronauts circling the Earth, landing on the moon or going to Mars, is the first tenant to be announced on the 207-acre site being developed for NASA by ACMI Properties. Texas A&M University has an additional 32.4 acres where it will mimic conditions on the moon and Mars for researchers to test spacesuits, tools or robotics.

Houston-based KBR has a food lab at the Johnson Space Center. But Exploration Park is located outside of NASA’s security fence, and the new kitchen will be more accessible to commercial and international partners, who won’t need government security clearances for access.

“Not having it tied to the government's facility, but right next door to where all the action has been happening, just seemed like a great idea to pursue,” said Laurie Labra, KBR’s vice president of Science and Space Operations.

The specifics of the new facility are still being worked out. But Marc Perry, KBR’s manager of strategic initiatives for the Human Exploration Division, said there will be lab space to study nutrition, food safety and shelf life. KBR also wants to reduce the mass and volume of food to provide better storage and lower launch costs. 

Perry also envisions an area where companies building commercial space stations can test their food warmers, rehydrators and kitchen galleys. And, of course, food will be produced and packaged here.

“This is a true need for industry,” Perry said, “and we think we can create value for NASA as well.”