About NASA FTCSC

Welcome from the Director— (6.3 MB RealPlayer file)
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NASA FTCSC Director
Welcome to the NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center.
The challenges of space exploration encourage everyone who participates in space-related activities to think outside the box and better appreciate what the Earth provides—food to eat, water to drink, air to breathe, energy to run our homes and industries, and more. Manned missions are an integral part of the U.S. space program, and astronauts require a safe, nutritious, and wholesome food supply. The challenge for NASA FTCSC is to develop new processes and products that will permit astronauts to feed themselves with a combination of foods prepared on Earth and food products from crops produced in space. Food systems must be developed for both short- and long-term missions, including 90-day missions on the International Space Station and one- to three-year missions on outposts on the moon or Mars. The mission of the NASA FTCSC is to engage the food industry and academia to develop these food systems.

In addition to NASA FTCSC, there are sixteen other NASA Commercial Space Centers. Their mission is to move NASA technology into terrestrial applications and to encourage industries to use space as a place to conduct research and business. NASA FTCSC works in the opposite direction by directly engaging industry in developing products and processes that will satisfy NASA’s food needs for space exploration and habitation while at the same time benefiting the public. Areas that require research and development include extending food shelf life (one to five years); management and recycling of food wastes; improving food safety; and processing of crops grown on planetary outposts (cabbage, carrots, chard, dry beans, lettuce, onions, peanuts, potatoes, radishes, rice, soybeans, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and wheat) into food products.

Building partnerships with industry, academia, and the public will be key to our success. Someone once said, "When you place your foot in the ocean, you are touching the whole world." Join us at the NASA FTCSC, where you can place your foot into the ocean of space and touch the universe.

Dr. Tony Pometto III
Director, NASA FTCSC

Our Mission—
The Mission of the NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center is to lead a national effort in developing foods and food-processing technologies that enhance space missions and advance commercial food products through cooperative efforts with NASA scientists and technologists, commercial companies, and academic researchers.

Our Objectives—
The NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center will engage in research and development projects to fulfill the following objectives:

Development of foods for 30- to 120-day space missions in support of the International Space Station (ISS) missions (minimum shelf life of one year).
Development of food and food-processing technologies to support human exploration of space missions (up to five years), including stored foods systems for transit vehicles and food-processing systems for site-grown crops.
Development of a terrestrial commercial production and marketing plan for products and processes developed for the space program.
Focused research in direct support of the development of food products, food production processes, waste processing, product safety for space, and terrestrial application.

Each of the objectives will meet NASA requirements for nutrition and safety and will take into consideration aspects such as convenience, eating pleasure, and space mission constraints of mass, power, volume, reliability, and crew time requirements.

The NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center—PDF Brochure

NASA FTCSC Staff—

Director:
Anthony L. Pometto III, Ph.D.
Iowa State University
2901 South Loop Drive
Suite 3700
Ames, Iowa 50010-8632
Phone: 515-296-5384
Fax: 515-296-6272
apometto@iastate.edu
NASA FTCSC Consultant:
Dr. Charles T. Bourland, Ph.D.
Food Scientist
1105 NE 450 Rd.
Osceola, Missouri 64776
Phone: 417-646-8970
cbourlan@centurytel.net
Education Mission Specialist:
Cheryll A. Reitmeier, Ph.D.
Iowa State University
2543 Food Sciences Building
Ames, Iowa 50011
Phone: 515-294-4325
Fax: 515-296-6272
creitmei@iastate.edu

Outreach Mission Specialist:
Aubrey F. Mendonca, Ph.D.
Iowa State University
2312 Food Sciences Building
Ames, Iowa 50011
Phone: 515-294-2950
Fax: 515-296-6272
amendon@iastate.edu

Administrative and Marketing Manager:
Sharon L. Colletti
Iowa State University
2901 South Loop Drive
Suite 3700
Ames, Iowa 50010-8632
Phone: 515-296-5385
Fax: 515-296-6272
sharonc@iastate.edu

Internet and Graphics Manager:
Regina Hendrickson
Iowa State University
2901 South Loop Dr ive
Suite 3700
Ames, Iowa 50010-8632
Phone: 515-296-5386
Fax: 515-296-6272
rhendric@iastate.edu

Communications Specialist:
Krysta Nibe
Iowa State University
2901 South Loop Dr ive
Suite 3700
Ames, Iowa 50010-8632
Phone: 515-296-5387
Fax: 515-296-6272
krystajo@iastate.edu

Office Coordinator:
Tammi Martin
Iowa State University
2901 South Loop Dr ive
Suite 3700
Ames, Iowa 50010-8632
Phone: 515-296-5383
Fax: 515-296-6272
tkmartin@iastate.edu

Finding the NASA FTCSC Office
—Des Moines Airport to ISU/NASA Office Map
—ISU Campus and ISU Research Park Area Maps
—ISU Visitor's Directions & Information Page

web author: Regina Hendrickson rhendric@iastate.edu