the history of space Cuisine

Most people rarely consider what the three astronauts who live on the International Space
Station are going to have for dinner. However, food scientists working with the project spend a good deal of
time worrying about the astronauts’ diet. When you spend 190 days on the Space Station, food can become the
highlight of the day. There is nothing like the crunch of a fresh apple to lift the mood of the
astronauts.
However, the food scientists need to consider some basic facts about the lack of gravity in space before they
decide on how best to prepare the diet. Firstly, the astronauts’ sense of smell is reduced in space.
Moreover, weightlessness makes liquids move from the lower part of the body to the upper,
sometimes blocking the nasal passages. Similarly, an atmosphere without gravity and with only
re-circulated air tends to take away the pleasant odour of the food.
All these details give particular problems to the food scientists. The first rule about cooking for
astronauts is never to prepare any food that breaks up too easily. No-one wants to chase a tiny
piece of food around a space station. Scientists have developed a special dough-based sandwich which is useful
in space because it does not break into little bits as easily as normal bread.
Because of the reduction of food odours, astronauts long for food which has a nice, sharp
flavour. Salt and pepper can help to achieve this, but they must be in liquid form. Where
there is a lack of gravity, grains of salt and pepper can damage equipment or become stuck
in an astronaut’s nose or eyes. Even a fresh tomato can cause problems. If a little tomato
juice squirts out when they bite it, it has to be found, so the astronauts have to eat
pre-sliced tomatoes. In addition, all the food has to be moist enough to stick together.
The astronauts eat almost all their meals together at a common table. Of course, they are not sitting. They are
floating. They use a foothold to stay in place, and attach utensils to the table with straps and sticky
tape.
The astronauts are careful not to waste anything, even if they do not like a dish. “We try
not to throw food away because you never know what the future might hold,” said
astronaut William McArthur.
The astronauts on the shuttles, who are in space for only 10 to 15 days, have to be content to end their meal
with a vitamin tablet. But astronauts orbiting the earth for months need something a little
special, so warm desserts like chocolate pudding cake have been developed.
The latest challenge is how to prepare food for the planned expedition to Mars. The timeline
for the whole voyage is long because of the great distances. The food will need a 5-year shelf life, because it will
be launched into space before the astronauts. In addition, allowances have to be made for unpredictable
weather and mechanical problems that could add more time.
For these expeditions, scientists also have to research new kinds of packaging that help lessen a
problem called “water activity”, which can promote the growth of unwanted bacteria.
Astronaut McArthur commented, “The spread of bacteria in space is definitely not a good idea.”