{"id":34060,"date":"2026-01-23T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scroll.media\/?p=34060"},"modified":"2026-01-23T10:25:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T08:25:26","slug":"from-earth-to-orbit-the-ukrainian-tech-behind-nasas-new-space-cooking-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scroll.media\/en\/2026\/01\/23\/from-earth-to-orbit-the-ukrainian-tech-behind-nasas-new-space-cooking-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"From Earth to Orbit: The Ukrainian Tech Behind NASA\u2019s New Space Cooking Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Can you imagine cooking pizza in space? Or making an omelet or a lemon pie? What sounded like science fiction not long ago has become reality. And the team of Ukrainian developers at JetSoftPro helped make it possible, working closely with Jim Sears, founder of Ascent Technology and the original visionary behind SATED Space\u2019s device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But first, a bit of background.\r\nIn 2021, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced the Deep Space Food Challenge. The goal was to find innovative technologies that would allow cooking in space without gravity, fresh ingredients, or regular kitchen conditions. This was not only about crew comfort but also about maintaining physical and psychological health during long missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three years later, the judges selected its finalists. One of them was SATED Space, a kitchen appliance designed for astronauts. The story of this device is also the story of the Ukrainian company JetSoftPro and the collaboration between its engineering team and Jim Sears, whose concept and hardware leadership shaped the direction of the project.\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An American Client and a Ukrainian Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

JetSoftPro is a Ukrainian IT company with a 20-year history. Its team of more than 200 specialists works with clients across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company focuses on automation, artificial intelligence, and, more recently, space tech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, Jim Sears and his company, SATED Space from Boulder, Colorado, approached JetSoftPro. Jim, an engineer with deep hardware expertise and experience in advanced R&D, was looking for partners who could develop the software for his SATED prototype. The idea was to create a compact device capable of cooking food in microgravity using minimal resources.\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n

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Photo by JetSoftPro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The project was named SATED (Safe Appliance, Tidy, Efficient & Delicious). The Ukrainian team was responsible for developing the embedded software that would control the device and the graphical user interface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How a SATED Space Device Works<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Photo by SATED Space<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

SATED allows astronauts to cook real food even in zero gravity. It simulates gravity by rotating a cylinder inside the device. The rotation creates centrifugal force that presses the ingredients against the heated walls, ensuring even cooking. There is no flame or smoke, only precise temperature and rotation control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The oven can boil, fry, bake, or stew. It reproduces the cooking processes that gravity normally handles on Earth, while using minimal energy and remaining completely safe.\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to SATED, astronaut menus could become far more diverse, from a hot breakfast omelet to a lemon pie for dessert. And all of this can be prepared right on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Deadline Is Astronomical<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u00abSATED was a truly unique case,\u00bb recalls Volodymyr Karpliuk, CTO of JetSoftPro. The biggest challenge was time. The team had only three months for development, including an intense six-week phase with no room for error. Everything had to be completed before NASA\u2019s deadline.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

JetSoftPro applied its PDLC (Product Development Lifecycle) approach. This means the team works not just as a contractor but as a co-creator responsible for the outcome. Sometimes this requires going beyond the initial technical scope, as happened with SATED Space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A physical device was needed for testing in Ukraine. Shipping it created new problems. The prototype arrived damaged: wires were torn off, components were broken, and spare parts were limited. The possibility of missing the deadline became very real. One of JetSoftPro\u2019s engineers, Vitalii, with hardware experience, repaired the device himself, effectively saving the project. This allowed the team to continue development and submit the device for the competition.\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00abWe often say that we can build not just a house but an entire city with roads, traffic lights, and infrastructure. The SATED device became a miniature version of that idea. Everything inside had to work in perfect sync,\u00bb says Karpliuk.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Future Belongs to Integrated Solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The work on SATED highlighted JetSoftPro\u2019s philosophy: the future of IT lies in integrated solutions where software, hardware, and infrastructure operate as a single system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00abThe era of pure software is ending. Today, real value comes from how well everything is connected: hardware\u2013software\u2013infrastructure solutions that integrate into global knowledge bases and services,\u00bb says Serhiy Kharytonov, CEO of JetSoftPro.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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This approach is already implemented in the company\u2019s projects in Ukraine. One example is JetSuite, a system that automates most business processes such as finance, recruiting, HR and CRM that has a dedicated mobile app, giving employees quick access to everything they need. The app even replaces office keys.\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SATED Among the Winners of the NASA Deep Space Food Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, the Ascent Technology team, led by Jim Sears, made it to the final round and presented their device at the last stage of the NASA competition. The result: second place and $250,000 in funding for further development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00abThis story proves that Ukrainian engineers can create products at a space-level standard,\u00bb says Kharytonov. And indeed, in just three months, the Ukrainian team helped bring to life a solution that could reshape the future of nutrition not only in space but also on Earth.\r\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Today, SATED is still evolving. The device is being tested in new environments, featured on major TV channels, and advised by Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, a well-known chef and founder of World Central Kitchen. \u00abHe was pleasantly surprised to learn that a Ukrainian team was behind the development,\u00bb Kharytonov adds.\r\n\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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