![]() ![]() Since the 1960s astronauts have noted that their taste buds don't work as effectively in space, and it's not uncommon for astronauts to find themselves enjoying cuisines in space that they couldn't eat at home, and vice versa. ![]() While the choice of refreshments for astronauts has grown considerably in recent years, they continue to crave the spicier things in life - specifically, hot sauce. Hot sauce makes everything taste better in spaceĬosmonaut Sergei Treschev and Astronaut Peggy Whitson making a meal on the ISS. This cooler is designed for science experiments and provides a temperature-controlled environment between minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsisu) and 119.3 degrees F (48.5 degrees C), but the crew can also use it for chilling drinks and foods. ![]() There's no food freezer on the ISS, but there is MERLIN. There's no kitchen sink or dishwasher - utensils are cleaned with wipes after eating. Most astronauts find the spoon and the scissors the most useful. The salt is dissolved in water and the pepper in a food-grade oil.Įach astronaut gets their own utensil pack featuring a knife, fork, spoon and scissors. Salt and pepper have to be in liquid form, or people could breathe it in or it could get in their eyes. All the astronaut has to do is add hot water. There's no separate way to add creamer, sugar or sweetener to your hot beverage of choice in space, so every astronaut on the ISS has to let the food science team know how they like their drink before launch. Terry Virts presents his "space cheeseburger." (Image credit: NASA) Special ordersĬertain culinary considerations have to be made in space. Astronauts now get regular fresh food deliveries, as well as harvest from a few crops like lettuce. With the ISS came more room, better support facilities and longer mission times, so food became better and more varied. Bread can be particularly tricky in zero gravity, as it can leave crumbs that can interfere with sensitive equipment, so many astronauts today choose flatbreads and tortillas.Īstronaut Terry Virts even created his own "space cheeseburger," putting a beef patty, cheese, tomato paste and Russian mustard in a tortilla wrap. astronaut Tim Peake famously took his favorite food to space: a bacon sandwich created by chef Heston Blumenthal. "I think it was the first pizza ever flown in space." "My favorite food is pizza, so I said, 'can you make me a pizza instead?' And NASA did. "We were allowed to carry a snack to the launch pad in case of things like weather delays," Thomas said. Scientists have realized food is more than just fuel for astronauts - it plays a vital role in their mental wellbeing and can be a reminder of home. During the decades that followed, astronauts' time in space grew into days, months and sometimes years, so the need for both sustenance and sanitation became critical.Ī Thanksgiving meal aboard the space station. Before Gagarin's flight, scientists weren't sure if swallowing in zero gravity was even possible. But a few weeks before, Yuri Gagarin was the first person to do just that during his 108-minute flight, sucking beef and liver paste from a tube. Shepard's flight time was only 15 minutes, so he didn't need to eat anything while in space. The menu was designed by Beatrice Finkelstein of the Aerospace Medical Laboratory and contained little fiber to be "low residue," (which in medical parlance means fewer, smaller bowel movements.) According to the NASA archive, no coffee was allowed 24 hours before the flight, as it might have kept Shepard awake, and he still wasn't allowed any at breakfast because of its diuretic properties. ![]() Steak and eggs washed down with orange juice, and notably, tea was served to the first American in space, Alan Shepard, on May 5, 1961, before his launch in Freedom 7. ![]()
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