NASA Unveils Winning Designs for Mars Space Food Systems Challenge

What happened

NASA announced the winners of the Deep Space Food Challenge: Mars to Table Thursday, with the top $300,000 prize being awarded to Chinyere Ukeje of Philadelphia, Pa. 5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA announced the winners of the Deep Space Food Challenge: Mars to Table Thursday, with the top $300,000 prize being awarded to Chinyere Ukeje of Philadelphia, Pa.

Mars to Table launched in January 2026 as a follow on to the Deep Space Food Challenge , which NASA ran from 2021-2014 in collaboration with CSA (Canadian Space Agency). states, the agency selected five winning teams for the 2026 challenge, awarding a combined $650,000.

After judging 113 submissions by teams hailing from 33 countries and 28 U.S. Currently, astronaut meals are almost entirely cooked, packaged, and sent to the International Space Station from the Space Food Systems Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Key facts

• NASA — announced: the winners of the Deep Space Food Challenge: Mars to Table Thursday, with the top $300,000 prize being awarded to Chinyere Ukeje of Philadelphia, Pa
• 5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA — announced: the winners of the Deep Space Food Challenge: Mars to Table Thursday, with the top $300,000 prize being awarded to Chinyere Ukeje of Philadelphia, Pa