Brewing the First Beer in Space
The First Beer in Space
On August 1st, 2025, Starbase Brewing launched its groundbreaking MicroBrew-1 experiment aboard NASA's Crew-11 mission. This payload marked a historic milestone: brewing the first beer in space, and was coordinated via the CASIS program at the International Space Station National Laboratory.
The scientific payload prepared and ready to go to space. The top chamber (underneath the Starbase logo) is filled with wort and the chamber underneath that contains dry yeast.
The goal of the MicroBrew-1 experiment was to explore the frontiers of fermentation in microgravity, and to provide critical insights into how zero gravity and cosmic radiation influence the brewing process. This initiative aligns with our long-term vision of establishing sustainable agriculture on Mars, where brewing techniques could inform broader food production methods for future human settlements.
The MicroBrew-1 Experiment
The experiment involved eight Fluid Processing Apparatuses (FPAs) — specialized test tube-like containers — housed within a larger cylindrical Group Activation Pack (GAP). Each FPA was pre-loaded with one chamber of wort (the sugary liquid extracted from malted grains) and one chamber of lyophilized (freeze-dried) yeast. Upon arrival at the Space Station, an astronaut inserted a crank into the GAP and turned it to mix the contents, thereby initiating fermentation in zero gravity.
The MicroBrew-1 right before activation on the International Space Station. Photo taken by NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim
Key research objectives include examining the impact of microgravity and radiation on fermentation outcomes and yeast activity down to a cellular level. Researchers are also observing the behavior of top-fermenting yeast, which typically rises to the surface during brewing on Earth, in a weightless environment.
Fermentation is a fundamental bioprocess for sustaining human life beyond Earth — from food and nutrition to biomanufacturing and waste recycling. The insights gained in MicroBrew-1 will shape the design of life-support systems for future space missions, while also advancing bioprocessing technologies here on Earth.
A single test tube filled with wort and yeast.
A Toast to the Future
The fermentation process completed successfully within a few days. Post-fermentation, the MicroBrew-1 payload returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule for retrieval and detailed analysis. As of early 2026, collaborating universities on three continents are now playing a pivotal role by conducting electron microscopy to study cellular changes, along with performing comprehensive chemical and sensory analysis on the beer samples.
This experiment is the first of many that Starbase plans to conduct on-orbit. These findings will contribute to our overarching goal of developing robust agricultural systems for Mars, where environmental challenges like low gravity and high radiation demand innovative solutions. By adapting brewing — a process reliant on microbiology and biochemistry — the company aims to pioneer techniques for cultivating crops and producing consumables in extraterrestrial conditions.
The MicroBrew-1 Mission Patch