What You Need to Know
Space food is a type of food product created and processed for consumption by astronauts during missions to outer space. Such food has specific requirements to provide a balanced diet and adequate nutrition for individuals working in space while being easy and safe to store, prepare and consume in the equipment-filled weightless environments of crewed spacecraft. Space food is commonly freeze-dried to minimize weight and ensure long shelf life. Before eating, it is rehydrated. Unmodified food, such as items of spirulina, fruit, and even a sandwich, have been brought into space. Packaging varies, including tubes, cans, and sealed plastic packages.
Steps
- 1.
Borscht in tubes (Russian space program): Preservation and zero-gravity consumption
- 2.
Freeze-dried ice cream (NASA Apollo program): Creating shelf-stable dairy products
- 3.
Space kimchi (Korean astronaut program): Fermentation control for microgravity
The Science
Primary Reaction
Maillard Reaction