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This is a concept paper to help outline a roadmap for planning research and development efforts that could lead to a realistic and workable food system for long-term space travel. The paper describes a proposed system by which sufficient food and fiber can be provided for a six-person crew on a 3-year round trip mission to Mars with only a 9-month supply initially brought on board. The proposed system will also integrate with other advanced life support (ALS) subsystems in a number of synergistic ways. Rationale for this paper stems from the belief that a system based upon “backpacking” a 3-year supply of all consumables for lift off onboard the vehicle (while compacting, storing and returning with all the resulting waste and trash) will neither be technically nor economically feasible.