Harrisburg University Students Design System to Feed Astronauts Headed to Mars

Oysters could play a key role in regenerative food systems for long-duration space missions.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 9:48pm

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A highly structured abstract painting in muted earth tones, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex scientific and biological processes involved in an oyster-based food and water filtration system for space travel.An innovative oyster-based system could provide a renewable food source and water filtration for astronauts on long journeys to the Moon and Mars.Harrisburg Today

Students at Harrisburg University, working with Monolith Space, have developed a prototype system designed to grow oysters in conditions that simulate space. The goal is to provide a regenerative food source and water filtration system for astronauts on long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.

Why it matters

NASA has identified the need for regenerative food systems as a top priority for future Moon-to-Mars missions. Most space food research has focused on microbes and plants, but this project explores the potential of aquatic organisms like oysters to play a critical role in closed-loop life support systems for space exploration.

The details

The prototype system designed by the Harrisburg University students is meant to fit on a rack aboard the International Space Station. It would allow astronauts to grow and eat oysters, which could then be used to filter gray water for plants. Monolith Space founder Jacob Scoccimerra got the idea after seeing the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's work to restore oysters, which are natural filter feeders.

  • The project was developed by Harrisburg University students in 2026.

The players

Harrisburg University

A university located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that partnered with Monolith Space on this project.

Monolith Space

A company founded by Jacob Scoccimerra that collaborated with Harrisburg University students to build a prototype system for growing oysters in simulated space conditions.

Jacob Scoccimerra

The founder of Monolith Space and a Penn State graduate who got the idea to study oysters for space food systems after seeing the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's work on oyster restoration.

NASA

The U.S. space agency that has identified the need for regenerative food systems as a top priority for future Moon-to-Mars missions.

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What they’re saying

“Oysters could play a very pivotal role as a filter feeding organisms.”

— Jacob Scoccimerra, Founder, Monolith Space

“At the very least, I hope that other people maybe want to purchase this technology. I view us as this aquaculture aspect that hasn't really been explored yet to be a component of a larger regenerative system.”

— Jacob Scoccimerra, Founder, Monolith Space

What’s next

Monolith Space and Harrisburg University plan to seek additional funding to further develop the prototype system and ultimately send it to the International Space Station or a future commercial space station.

The takeaway

This project highlights the potential for aquatic organisms like oysters to play a key role in regenerative food and water systems for long-duration space missions, an area that has been largely overlooked compared to research on plants and microbes. If successful, the technology could have broader applications for sustainable food and water production on Earth as well.