Extruding-Expelling Soybeans and Utilizing the Products at Planetary Outposts

Extruding-Expelling (E-E), a mechanical method for processing soybeans used by many small soybean processors in the Midwest United States, is a suitable technology for space applications to process soybeans grown on planetary outposts, Moon or Mars, because of its small scale, absence of flammable solvent use, and simple operation. E-E produces a partially deoiled protein that is also heat denatured. A simple and mild oil-refining technique was developed to refine crude E-E oil. Texturized soy protein (TSP) was successfully produced from such E-E flour with a twin-screw extruder. TSP will permit astronauts to convert this regenerable crop into meat analogs.