There Are Five Types Of Food Astraunauts Can’t Eat While In Orbit To Prevent Them From Getting Sick In Space
In 1961, the first person was sent into space by the Soviets during the space race, a period of competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, over who could conquer space exploration first.
The first person to travel to space, Yuri Gagarin, slurped down two servings of pureed beef and liver paste, as well as chocolate sauce from aluminum tubes, much like the kind that toothpaste comes in. It doesn’t seem like a very enticing dinner.
Ever since then, humans have made multiple trips to space to conduct explorations. Astronauts can go on missions that last for months, so they need food to sustain themselves. Fortunately, advances in food technology have provided a lot more variety when it comes to eating in space.
However, some foods just aren’t viable options in a microgravity environment where your meal can float out of your dishes. The food in astronauts’ supply must also be kept for long periods of time without spoiling. Nobody wants to get sick in space! So, here are the five types of foods that astronauts should not consume while in orbit.
Food Items That Aren’t Shelf-Stable
There is no food refrigerator in the International Space Station, so everything the astronauts will eat must be shelf-stable in order to avoid the risk of food poisoning. That means undercooked meat and seafood, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurized milk products are a big no-no.
Examples of shelf-stable foods are rehydratable foods, like rice, ramen, oatmeal, and powdered beverages; thermostabilized foods, like canned fish, fruits, and vegetables; and intermediate moisture foods, like jam and dried fruit. Irradiated foods, frozen foods, and natural form foods like nuts and granola are also allowed.
Crumbly Foods
Bread, potato chips, and other crumbly foods are not ideal to bring to space. Instead of just falling to the floor like on Earth, crumbs in space will float around and make a mess all because of microgravity.
Vadimsadovski – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
The crumbs can even get into air filters, tools on board, and the astronauts’ eyes, which can be a danger to their safety. Bread is usually replaced with tortillas, and bite-sized crackers/cookies that can be eaten whole are okay.
Salty Foods
You would think that military-style, ready-to-eat, shelf-stable meals would be perfect for astronauts’ purposes as well. However, these rations contain a lot of salt. While that might be beneficial for soldiers on Earth, it could have detrimental effects in space. Foods with high salt content can worsen bone density loss, one of the known side effects of microgravity.
Bland Foods
In microgravity, bodily fluids shift, which gives astronauts facial and sinus congestion. This impacts their sense of smell and taste, so the food they eat might seem bland. Hot sauces are well-loved by astronauts because they add flavor to their meals.
The taste of food makes a bigger impact on astronauts than you’d think. Back when space exploration was still new, some of the first foods eaten in space were cold mashed potatoes and spaghetti. They were served through tubes that could be squeezed into astronauts’ mouths.
It wasn’t very enjoyable since they couldn’t taste much of anything. The astronauts ended up hating to eat. When they returned, they were hungry and dehydrated. So, to maintain astronauts’ health and happiness, bland foods should be avoided!
Alcohol
Alcohol is banned by NASA and the International Space Station. Initially, it was because of safety concerns. It would be bad if astronauts were drunk on the job. But later on, NASA learned that ethanol, one of the main components of alcoholic beverages, does not break down when recycling water and air. Instead, it becomes a pollutant.
Overall, astronauts have more than 200 food and beverage options available to them in the NASA program, so it’s not like they’re living on scraps!
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
More About:News