Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Willmore have finally returned to Earth after spending almost nine months at the International Space Station (ISS). Initially, the trip was meant to be short-lived, but due to some issues, they had to stay on the ISS for 9 months. Finally, they safely landed on the coast of Florida on Wednesday (IST).
How do astronauts live in space?
What do they eat, drink, where do they sleep, and where do they defecate in the space? Is food like on Earth also available in space? Do astronauts eat the same food we eat here at the International Space Station, or is there any special food, a special menu for them? Since childhood, many have had misconceptions; those who travel to space live only by taking medicine. Months of space mission with tablets and capsules.
To keep astronauts healthy, strong, and energetic, NASA provides specially prepared food by the Space Food Team at the JSC Food Systems Laboratory. A special type of food preparation is required, taking into account certain limitations such as food safety, limited storage space, and the difficulty of eating in microgravity. According to a report in The New York Post, pizza, roast chicken, and shrimp cocktails were available to the two astronauts at ISS. However, the two had very little fresh produce to supplement their diets. Citing a specialist, the report mentioned that Williams and Willmore have access to a variety of foods, including breakfast cereals with powdered milk and tuna, along with pizza, roast chicken, and shrimp cocktails.
Food available to astronauts is typically personalized to meet the astronaut’s daily needs and is usually freeze-dried or packaged. It can be reheated using the food warmers available on the space station. A NASA report also suggests that the ISS has about 3.8 pounds of food available per astronaut per day, ‘with additional food on hand for any unforeseen mission.’. The New York Post also mentioned in its report that the food available to the astronauts, especially meat and eggs, is cooked on Earth and only needs to be heated in space. Meanwhile, the water requirement for dehydrated soups, stews, and casseroles is met from the ISS’s 530-gallon freshwater tank.
Leave a Reply