Food and Space

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Food and Space
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What To Eat?

• The first astronauts, like John Glenn (the first
  American to orbit Earth) had to eat out of
  squeeze tubes.
• By the time that Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrin
  were walking on the Moon (Apollo 11, July 20,
  1969), astronauts could have hot water for coffee
  or tea, as well as preparing hot food. And the
  food choices were much larger. Along with this
  mission came the "spoon bowl," which is common in
  supermarkets these days.
• And today, 22 years after Columbia first
  launched, eating in space is becoming routine,
  and almost like home. The food is still
  dehydrated, so it won't take up so much room
  onboard. Astronauts can "rehydrate" the food and
  then warm it up in a small kitchen onboard the
  space shuttle. So they eat soup, casseroles,
  vegetables, cereal, and many other foods, just
  like we do here on Earth.

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And Dont Forget. . .

• Snacks Astronauts eat nuts, granola bars,
  tortillas, and other fun food by opening a
  package, picking out one nut or a piece of
  granola bar or tortilla, and letting it sail
  through the zero-gravity into the astronaut's
  open mouth!
• Much of the food astronauts eat these days comes
  in packages, which they cut open and pour into
  bowls and on plates. They use real silverware and
  eat off real trays, which are attached to their
  laps and which also keep bowls and plates from
  flying off into the air. (Remember, space has no
  gravity to keep anything down on the floor or an
  astronaut's lap!) Other food comes in cans with
  pull tabs.
• And what about beverages? Well, those are
  dehydrated as well. Astronauts can drink coffee,
  tea, sodas, lemonade, and just about every other
  kind of beverage by mixing powder with water.

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Whos the Chef?

• Preparation of a meal on the Shuttle is started
  by a crewmember 30 to 60 minutes before mealtime.
  A full meal for a crew of four can be set up in
  about five minutes. Heating and reconstitution of
  the food takes an addition 20 to 30 minutes.
• Food needing rehydration is given hot or cold
  water in premeasured amounts. Water for
  rehydration is given hot or cold water in
  premeasured amounts.
• Food needing heating is placed in a forced air
  convection oven, a new feature for space flight.
  The maximum temperature of the oven is 82 degrees
  C (180 degrees F) and it can hold temperatures at
  65 degrees C (150 degrees F) for an extended
  period. The oven can heat containers of different
  sizes and shapes.

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How do you Eat?

• While the astronauts are eating, food containers
  are held in a food tray that is attached to a
  table in mid-deck, to the astronaut's lap while
  seated, or attached to a wall. Eating utensils
  consist of a knife, fork, spoon, and a pair of
  scissors for cutting open packages. Food can be
  seasoned with serving-sized packets of mustard,
  catsup, mayonnaise, hot sauce, and liquified salt
  and pepper. Following the meal, food containers
  are discarded and the utensils and serving trays
  are cleaned with "wet wipes."

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Can You Drink Coke?

• Many years back, they decided to fly the soft
  drink Coca Cola on the shuttle. First, it had to
  be packaged in a special can to keep it under
  pressure so it wouldn't lose its carbonation, and
  to keep it under pressure so the soda and the
  carbonation would not separate in microgravity.
  Not only is carbonation difficult in
  microgravity, it causes you to burp. On earth,
  that's not such a big deal, but in microgravity
  it's just gross! Because there is no gravity, the
  contents of your stomach float and tend to stay
  at the top of your stomach, under the rib cage
  and close to the valve at the top of your
  stomach. Because this valve isn't a complete
  closure (just a muscle that works with gravity),
  if you burp, it becomes a wet burp from the
  contents in your stomach. I've been told this is
  NOT pleasant!

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Food Montagehttp//spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/v
ideo/living/real56/food_montage_56.rm
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You Hungry?

• Lets make our own menu and try some space food!

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Reference

• http//www.socialstudiesforkids.com/columbia2003/f
  oodinspace.htm
• http//spaceflight.nasa.gov/living/spacefood/index
  .html
• http//liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/astronauts/fo
  od.html
• quest.arc.nasa.gov/.../kloeris/05-01-01.html
• http//liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/Cindex/searchkids.idq