NASA has announced its 'Deep Space Food Challenge: Mars to Table,' a new global competition aimed at developing complete, Earth-independent food systems for astronauts on extended missions to the Moon and Mars. This initiative is a follow-up to NASA's first Deep Space Food Challenge, reflecting the agency's continuous effort to innovate culinary solutions for deep space exploration. The challenge calls upon chefs, innovators, culinary experts, students, and citizen scientists worldwide to design holistic, self-sustaining food systems. Participants are tasked with creating a comprehensive meal plan for a Martian habitat, considering nutritional balance, taste, safety, usability, and integration with life support systems. The competition, which is currently open for registration until July 31, 2026, offers a substantial prize purse of up to $750,000 (approximately Rs 6.75 crore). Beyond its primary objective of feeding astronauts in space, the 'Mars to Table' challenge emphasizes the potential for terrestrial impact. Technologies and innovative growth systems developed for extraterrestrial environments could be adapted to address food security challenges on Earth. This includes making fresh food production possible in remote, harsh, or resource-limited areas, such as research stations, disaster relief zones, or even drought-hit rural regions in countries like India. By seeking solutions for the demanding conditions of Mars, NASA aims to foster innovations that can also benefit global food resilience and reduce reliance on fragile supply chains, highlighting the dual benefit of space exploration for humanity. The challenge concludes in September 2026.