HONOLULU – Do you have a favorite family recipe that is out of this world? Enter it in the HI-SEAS recipe contest and it could be tested for future consumption in space. 

The Hawai‘i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation mission, HI-SEAS, is part of a study for NASA to determine the best way to keep astronauts well-nourished during multiple-year missions to Mars or the moon. 

A team of researchers from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Cornell University have selected six individuals to make up the crew of a four-month simulated Mars mission in Hawai‘i intended to test new forms of food and food preparation strategies for deep-space travel. The simulated mission, which begins in April 2013, will require the crew to live and work like astronauts, including suiting up in space gear whenever they venture out of a specially built simulated Martian base and cooking meals from a specific list of dehydrated and shelf-stable food items. 

The HI-SEAS staff and crew are inviting the public to join in on the action by submitting their best recipes utilizing ingredients on the list of items that will be available to the crew during the simulated mission. The four recipe categories include breakfast, main dish (including soup), side dishes, and desserts and snacks. 

The staff and crew will select the top five finalists in each category based on a number of factors, including most popular as determined by a public vote. The crew will test the finalists’ recipes during the simulated mission, and the winners will be announced at the end of the mission in August. Winning recipes in each category will be featured on the HI-SEAS website and will receive an official HI-SEAS T-shirt. 

Recipe submissions are being accepted online now through March 8, 2013. For submission requirements, a list of eligible ingredients and official contest rules, visit the HI-SEAS website at www.hi-seas.org. 

Follow the HI-SEAS crew on Twitter (@HI_SEAS) and Facebook as they prepare for the simulated mission.