A spacefaring people needs more than rockets and stations. No civilization has ever been built on technical capability alone. It needs people who choose to remain and pursue life beyond Earth’s orbit. It is culture — rooted in beauty, repetition and meaning — that turns infrastructure into home. Without it, space will remain a sterile domain — often visited but never inhabited.
Private firms now lead the charge into orbit, the moon, and beyond. Their visions are ambitious: tourism, manufacturing — even settlement. But such ambitions require demand that persists beyond novelty. And demand will not endure unless space becomes desirable not only for its wonder but for its way of life. If the space economy is to grow, then space must become livable. Not in the sense of breathable air and safe shelter, but in the deeper sense of belonging.
Culture creates that.
Among all the tools of culture, cuisine stands apart. Food enters daily life more reliably than literature or fashion. It is repeated, remembered and shared. It forms rituals without command and pleasures without instruction. Cuisine gives texture to identity and dignity to survival. Where language fails or art divides, a well-prepared meal unites.
Yet space food today remains trapped in the language of science fiction and novelty, such as freeze-dried ice cream. This must change. For space to feel lived-in, space cuisine must be elevated to the level of art. It must evoke tradition, comfort and meaning — without losing sight of the frontier’s constraints. If we are to remain in space, we must prepare meals, not rations.
Let the first meal be worth remembering.
The economics of space: why demand must be cultural
Establishing the culture of space is essential if humanity is ever to live beyond Earth. Space firms offering crewed, tourism, and eventually off-world ferry launch services cannot survive on prestige alone. To become and remain commercially viable, they must attain economies of scale,…
Read the full article here