Through a labyrinth of hallways deep inside a 1950s-era building that has housed research dating back to the origins of US space travel, a group of scientists in white coats is stirring, mixing, measuring, brushing and, most importantly, tasting the results of their cooking.

Their mission: Create a menu for a planned journey to Mars in the 2030s.

The menu must sustain a group of six to eight astronauts, keep them healthy and happy and also offer a broad array of food. That's no simple feat considering it will likely take six months to get to the Red Planet, astronauts will have to stay there for 18 months and then it will take another six months to return to Earth. Imagine having to shop for a family's three-year supply of groceries all at once and having enough meals planned in advance for that length of time.