Astronauts will grow artificial steaks on the International Space Station.
Astronauts will grow artificial steak in space
Mark Pathy, Larry Connor and Eytan Stibbe are participating in a series of experiments on the ISS as part of the world's first space tourism mission.
The amateur spacemen will take part in a number of tests, including cultivating steak from bovine beef cells.
The trio are hoping to grow the stem cells in microgravity and turn them into the muscle tissue that is found in steak.
It works by multiplying and differentiating the bovine cells until a cellular mass of muscle, fat and oxygen is created. The cells are then turned into tissue that resembles the steak people eat on Earth.
The technology for the experiment has been developed by the Israeli firm Aleph Farms - which is known for cultivating lab-grown beef steaks.
Dr. Zvika Tamari, head of space research for the group, says the company's aims are to provide steak to space travellers.
He said: "To produce [natural] steak you have to grow cows for 2-3 years, feed them a lot, you need a lot of land, lots of fresh water, and natural resources.
"But we can produce good, nutritious, tasty steak wherever, even in the most remote places, in about three weeks. And where is more remote than space? A harsh environment with no natural resources."