Space Food: History, Information, Interesting Facts

The history of space food.

The food eaten these days by the astronauts living and working aboard the I.S.S., is the final result of an evolution started in the Sixties, the period of the first space missions.
Here follows a list of the main stages of this evolution:

Project Mercury (1958 – 1963):

The first spaceflight program created to put US astronauts in orbit around the Earth, was the ‘Project Mercury’. The NASA scientists who contributed to its realization had to face many complex and dangerous challenges: the life of many men depended on their choices. For example, in zero gravity conditions, even eating was a problem: that’s why the safety of food became much more important than its taste and the first astronauts were provided with the ‘tubes’.

Tubes: containers very similar in shape to those used for toothpaste, filled with a sort of puree made with beef and/or vegetables (*1).

Project Gemini (1961 – 1966):

The ‘tubes’ were not used anymore during the ‘Project Gemini’ missions. Astronauts could finally eat solid food in the form of ‘cubes’.

Cubes: small pieces of food, wrapped in a thin edible layer to avoid crumbs. Once extracted from the package, they were eaten whole.

The first bags of dehydrated aliments made their appearance: although the rehydration process was not yet perfected and the result was not very good, this innovation at least allowed a greater variety of meals.

Space food: beverages on the I.S.S.

Most of the water available on the I.S.S. is carried from Earth by cargo shuttles, a small quantity of it is collected from moisture condensation and urine recycling.
Dispensers are present throughout the Station: the astronauts can select both the amount of liquid and the temperature they need.
All drinks (like, for example, tea and lemonade) are usually lyophilized and enclosed in special pouches: these are equipped with a small adapter used for rehydration and to drink from them using a straw.

Space food: the dining table for astronauts.

The ‘dining table’ of the I.S.S. is quite different from those used on Earth: it’s basically a reclining surface, attached to the interior of one of the Station modules and equipped with velcro straps and ties, used to keep the food in place. Thanks to zero gravity, diners don’t have to ‘sit down’. In this regard, it’s interesting to remember that when the engineers designed the first US Space Station, the ‘Skylab’, they tried to replicate some of the living conditions of our planet. For example, its ‘dining room’ had a central structure (*1), around which the three components of the crew could sit in front of each other: this way they could have an ‘eating experience’ quite similar to that so common on Earth.

Note:
*1: Special food trays could be plugged into this structure, forming a sort of table. These trays were much more complex than those used today on the I.S.S. : for example, each of them was equipped with a food warmer.

Spave food: types of food.

Nowadays the astronauts aboard the I.S.S. can eat almost any kind of food. There are obviously some important rules to follow when preparing and packaging it, since:

It’s going to be eaten in zero gravity.
It must keep all its nutritional characteristics.
It has to be stored at room temperature for a long time.

Considering these special requirements, it’s available on the station in the following forms:

The first astronauts eating in space.

The first astronaut to go in space, entering orbit around our planet, was the Russian Yuri Gagarin, in 1961, followed a year later by the American John Glenn. Considering the topic of this article, it should be said that they were also the very first men to eat in space. Sadly, the food they were provided was not very appetizing: for example, it had to be squeezed out from tubes, very similar to those used for toothpaste.

The light ‘snack’ that Gagarin and Glenn ate during their short missions, was part of a very important scientific experiment. Both the Russian and the American scientists needed in fact as much information as possible to confirm their theories about feeding in zero-gravity conditions. For example, they didn’t know exactly if it was possible to swallow and digest food.

I.S.S., the International Space Station.

The International Space Station was built thanks to the collaboration of fifteen nations.
Its structure was built by assembling several modules over the years: the first was the Russian ‘Zarya’, put into orbit in 1998. After just two weeks, it was the turn of the American ‘Unity’, carried in space by the Shuttle Endeavour.
The final result is a laboratory unique in its kind, whose main function is to host scientific experiments in a zero-gravity environment. The information obtained from these experiments are fundamental for technological development and for the future colonization of Mars.
The Station is occupied without interruption since the month of November 2000: ‘expeditions’ including up to seven astronauts (the ideal number of crewmen for the I.S.S.), stay on board for periods of time usually not exceeding six months.

The first space stations.

During the years many space stations have been sent into orbit around the Earth. The very first was the Russian Salyut 1 in 1971, the latest has been the Chinese Tiangong-2, in 2016. Two of these stations are particularly famous:

The numbers of the I.S.S.

A few numbers, better than a thousand words, can explain why the I.S.S. , the most futuristic place where to eat, is so special:
Altitude: between 230 and 285 miles.
Speed: 17.000 mi/h.
Weight: 450 tons

Two very famous classical songs from the soundtrack of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ to accompany the reading of this article:

Note: join Spotify and listen to the full song.

Every kind of seasoning can be used on the I.S.S., including ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. Powders like salt and pepper must be diluted in water, to avoid the risk of being inhaled or getting in the eyes of the astronauts living on the Station.

The astronauts aboard the I.S.S. can eat not only food ‘meant’ for space, but also commercial products. Biscuits, candies and many other specialties made by famous brands, are generally not available in their original packages, but inside special containers, in compliance with the NASA safety rules.

Carbonated beverages, at least for now, cannot be drunk in space. The lack of gravity doesn’t allow the little bubbles of carbon dioxide to separate from liquids: this is a big problem for astronauts, since the gas remains trapped within their digestive systems.

In 2015 a special type of coffee machine (*1), designed to operate in zero gravity, has been installed on the I.S.S. : the ‘ISSpresso’.
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Looking at the photo above, it’s easy to notice the presence of two adapters inside of it:
The blue one is used to load water.
The brown one releases hot beverages, injecting them in a pouch.

Note:
*1: The ISSpresso can make also tea and broth.

Where does the garbage produced on the I.S.S. end up?
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The ‘cupola’ is one of the most fascinating parts of the I.S.S. : there is for sure no better place to have a meal.
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The ‘Progress’ were the first cargo capsules used to bring supplies to the I.S.S.
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