Outer space is always fascinating to all of us. Once in a lifetime, most of us had a dream of going to the moon and other planets and see the earth from there. It was my dream also to go to the moon. Once I had a discussion with my sister about these fantasies of visiting space while eating pakoda and tea, she suggested me to take pakoda with me in my spacecraft and be the first one to eat pakoda on the moon. At that time, it was humorous but later, that incident made me think about what do astronauts eat in space? Do they cook there? Can they eat the same things that they eat on earth?
Obviously, NO. There is a difference in atmosphere and gravitational force which makes it difficult to consume the same products on earth and outer space. There is very little or no oxygen available on other planets. Moreover, the zero-gravity condition also makes it difficult to carry and consume the same product.
Why is it difficult to design space foods? What factors do we need to consider?
Food Preservation: Since space missions are for a long period, for years sometimes, there is a requirement to preserve food for that period. NASA’s mission to send humans to Mars in 2030 is expected to be of 5 years which requires food to be palatable for 5 years without any spoilage.
Weight of material: It is not possible to carry heavy materials in spacecraft as it requires an increased quantity of fuel. Therefore, while designing food, food product and package must be of low weight.
Balanced Diet: Due to an altered atmosphere, excessive work and unfavorable environmental conditions, there is a need to consume a balanced diet. Space atmosphere alters our taste receptors also, henceforth, it’s required to develop a balanced diet that is palatable in those conditions.
Packaging of food: The food should be properly sealed otherwise it can cause harm to the astronauts in zero-gravity condition. E.g. loose pieces of solid food can cause harm to astronaut’s eyes, nose or ear, or clogging of pipes while liquid food may float in zero-gravity and cause damage to machinery.
Variety in taste: For a long duration of the mission, the food should be of different taste such that astronauts should not get bored of eating the same food for years.
How does this space food evolve?
Earlier, it was not known whether astronauts can digest food in outer space or not. Scientists were unaware of the enzymatic activity and digestion process in zero-gravity conditions but when John Glenn, the first American astronaut, ate food (applesauce and xylose sugar tablets with water) on spacecraft, it confirmed that humans can eat and digest food in space which opened the door of innovation in the field of space food.
In the earlier program (Mercury Project), food provided was semi-liquid fluid in tooth-paste type tubes and bite-sized cubes with a coating of Gelatin (to avoid small crumbs) but it was unappetizing. These cubes were packed in vacuum packages to protect it against moisture, spoilage, and flavor loss.
Later on, in Gemini Mission, the freeze-drying technique was used to prepare dehydrated food. Such foods are very porous in nature and hence, easy rehydration is possible. For rehydration, water gun was generally used to inject water into the package through a nozzle. On the other end of a package, there was an opening to squeeze out the food in the astronaut’s mouth directly.
Furthermore, various improvements took place in the Apollo Mission. To make the food more enjoyable for astronauts, “spoon bowl” packages were introduced. Such packages contain freeze-dried food which is rehydrated in the same way as on the Gemini mission but the food can be eaten with a spoon that gives more satiety after consumption.
Presently, there are eight categories of space foods available for astronauts:
Rehydratable Foods: These are generally freeze-dried foods E.g. Cereals
Thermo-stabilized Foods: Consist of canned foods E.g. Puddings
Intermediate Moisture Foods: Requires no preparation E.g. Dried Peaches, Pears, Apricots
Natural Form Food: Ready-to-eat food in flexible pouch E.g. Nuts, Granola Bars
Irradiated Foods: Treated with ionizing radiation for long shelf life E.g. Beef Steak
Frozen Foods: Has preserved fresh taste E.g. quiches, casseroles
Fresh Foods: has to be consumed in initial 2-3 days E.g. fresh Fruits
Refrigerated Foods: Remains fresh at low-temperature E.g. Sour Cream, Cream Cheese
Besides these, to add variety in cuisine, 3D printing is one of the promising technologies that NASA is trying to utilize in its space missions.
Moreover, the microgravity condition in the spacecraft causes everything to float. To combat this problem, special straws are designed for liquid products that have a clamp on one side to prevent the movement of liquid when it’s not in use. Utensils such as trays, forks, spoons, scissors, etc. have a magnet attached to them to prevent them from floating while not in use.
Space food designing is a robust process. It requires deep knowledge of food science, ingredient, and processes to develop food that is edible in far space. So whenever you eat anything, just imagine whether you can consume it on moon ;)
References:
Space Food technology: Production and Recent Developments by Maeena Naman Shafiee. International Journal of Advancement in Research and Technology, Volume 6, Issue 2, February-2017, ISSN 2278-7763
Space Food and Nutrition: An Educator’s guide by NASA. EG-1999-02-115-HQ
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