Astronauts on deep space missions face nutritional challenges due to limited food storage and immature onboard gardening. Engineers propose using asteroids as a food source. A process would break down asteroid material into hydrocarbon compounds, which bacteria would consume. The resulting biomass, or microbial collection, could then be eaten by astronauts. This concept stems from a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency initiative, ReSource, which explores converting waste, like “meals ready to eat” (M.R.E.), into useful resources.